Chapter 17, Problem 90TE

In one of the most spectacular archaeological finds in cen-

turies, skeleton of tiny human relative were discovered on

a remote Indonesian island in 2004. Nicknamed “Hobbits,”

Homo floriesiens adults had a skulls the size of grapefruits

And were no bigger than the 3 year old modern children. Homo

floriesiens lived alongside pygmy elephants, giant rodents and

komodo dragons. Why might Homo floriesiens have

evolved to have very small size in its environment?