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Homo floresiensis Scavenged Stegodon, Lacked Fire, Study Shows

7/4/2026

Summary

Story summary

Paleoanthropologist Elizabeth Grace Veatch of the Smithsonian reported that Homo floresiensis scavenged Stegodon meat rather than hunting it.
Bone-mark analysis showed most Stegodon scratches matched Komodo dragon Rinca’s teeth, not stone tools.
Analysis of 4,500 rodent bones and 10,061 artifacts revealed no fire traces and dated Homo floresiensis to 190,000–50,000 years ago, earlier than Homo sapiens fire evidence (~46,000 years), implying a primitive offshoot possibly related to Homo habilis.

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Story summary

Paleoanthropologist Elizabeth Grace Veatch of the Smithsonian reported that Homo floresiensis scavenged Stegodon meat rather than hunting it.
Bone-mark analysis showed most Stegodon scratches matched Komodo dragon Rinca’s teeth, not stone tools.
Analysis of 4,500 rodent bones and 10,061 artifacts revealed no fire traces and dated Homo floresiensis to 190,000–50,000 years ago, earlier than Homo sapiens fire evidence (~46,000 years), implying a primitive offshoot possibly related to Homo habilis.