About 50,000 years ago, the Indonesian island of Flores was home to a unique species of miniature humans, Homo floresiensis, often called the “hobbit people.”. At first, researchers believed that these tiny hominids disappeared due to modern humans, but recent research points to other reasons, writes IFLScience.

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A new study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, points to climate change as a likely cause of their extinction.. Researchers say decreased rainfall has significantly impacted pygmy elephants known as stegodons, which Homo floresiensis relied heavily on for its diet.

These little elephants shared an island with hobbits until climate change dried up their water sources, causing a catastrophic collapse for both species.

The researchers note that archaeological evidence of Homo floresiensis disappears about 4,000 years before Homo sapiens appeared on Flores, about 46,000 years ago.

To investigate the reasons for their disappearance, the team analyzed geological samples near Liang Bua, a key hobbit habitat, focusing on isotope levels of magnesium, calcium and oxygen. This allowed them to piece together the history of climate change in the region..

Their findings indicate that approximately 76,000 years ago, rainfall on Flores was much higher and more stable..

Over the next 20,000 years, precipitation decreased significantly and seasonal variability increased. By 50,000 years ago, rainfall during the summer monsoons had dropped to 430 millimeters per year, leaving stegodons with limited access to water during the dry seasons.

Researchers offer two possible scenarios for the development of events. In one of them, elephants remained near Liang Bua, vulnerable to lack of water and persecution by Homo floresiensis, who lived around the reservoirs.

Or the elephants could have migrated to wetter coastal regions, where the unfamiliar environment would likely have jeopardized their survival. If the hobbits went after their prey, they could have encountered new dangers and perhaps even modern humans who traveled along the coast on their way to Oceania.

Although there is no reliable evidence of interaction between Homo sapiens and Homo floresiensis, researchers do not exclude the possibility of their short contact. This study demonstrates the fragility of ecosystems and the profound impact of climate change on ancient species.

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