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Flores Island

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Indonesia hit by 7.7 quake sparking local tsunami warning
world10 days ago

Indonesia hit by 7.7 quake sparking local tsunami warning

Indonesia issued a local tsunami warning after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake near Flores Island, followed by three aftershocks (5.9, 5.6, 6.1). Authorities urged coastal residents to move to higher ground and avoid beaches, while Australia reported no tsunami threat for now. The USGS warned casualties and damage are possible, with about 500,000 people exposed to very strong shaking; Indonesia sits on the Ring of Fire and has a history of major quakes, including the 2004 Sumatra disaster.

Drought on Flores Island Likely Ended the Real-Life Hobbits’ Refuge
world1 month ago

Drought on Flores Island Likely Ended the Real-Life Hobbits’ Refuge

Researchers reconstructed ancient rainfall on Flores Island using a stalagmite from Liang Luar cave, revealing three climate phases and a final prolonged dry spell around 61,000–47,000 years ago that coincides with the disappearance of Homo floresiensis and their pygmy-elephant prey Stegodon florensis insularis, suggesting dwindling resources forced the hobbits to abandon Liang Bua and potentially encounter modern humans who arrived on the island later.

Ancient Flores drought likely ended Homo floresiensis without direct human conflict
discoveries1 month ago

Ancient Flores drought likely ended Homo floresiensis without direct human conflict

A long-term drought on Flores, inferred from stalagmite records and Stegodon tooth enamel, dried rivers and prey around Liang Bua, likely forcing Homo floresiensis to retreat and eventually vanish from Flores around 61,000 years ago; there is no evidence of direct contact with modern humans at the site, suggesting climate-driven ecological collapse rather than a violent extinction.

Hobbit-Sized Hominins Likely Scavengers Amid Komodo Dragons on Flores
human-history1 month ago

Hobbit-Sized Hominins Likely Scavengers Amid Komodo Dragons on Flores

A Smithsonian-led study argues that Homo floresiensis on Flores were probably scavengers rather than big-game hunters or fire users. By examining Stegodon florensis insularis bones for dragon and hominin tooth scores, and reviewing 10,061 Liang Bua artifacts alongside experiments with living Komodo dragons, researchers found the hobbit-like hominins left marks on smaller, less meat-rich pieces and that evidence for fire at the site likely comes from later Homo sapiens, not H. floresiensis, though debates about their behavior persist.