Homo floresiensis Probably Didn’t Hunt Stegodons or Use Fire
Sci.News · 2026-07-05
New research challenges the long-held perception of *Homo floresiensis* as a behaviorally advanced hominin capable of using fire and hunting large game. Lead author Dr. E. Grace Veatch and her team analyzed over 3,100 *Stegodon* bone fragments and nearly 7,000 rodent remains from Liang Bua Cave, comparing tooth marks to determine feeding patterns. The study revealed that while both hominins and Komodo dragons fed on *Stegodon* carcasses, dragons likely had primary access, with their tooth marks concentrated on meat-rich bones. *Homo floresiensis* cut marks, conversely, were found on lower-value skeletal parts like ribs and skull fragments, suggesting scavenging of raw meat rather than active hunting. No evidence of projectile weapons or impact damage supported hunting. Furthermore, fire use was largely absent; only one *Stegodon* rib showed burning, likely from later human activity, and none of the more than 4,200 rodent remains associated with *Homo floresiensis* exhibited fire damage, unlike 20% of those linked to *Homo sapiens*. These findings indicate that *Homo floresiensis* lacked the diverse behavioral repertoire of modern humans or Neanderthals, failing to develop adaptations related to cooked food consumption or the physical characteristics for effective large game hunting.
*The full article also explores the implications of these findings for understanding the evolutionary trajectory and cognitive capabilities of early hominin species.*