Taphonomic analysis at Liang Bua reveals the behavioral and technological capabilities of Homo floresiensis.

Authors

E Grace Veatch, Nico Alamsyah, Michael Pante, Alex Pelissero, Tewabe Negash, Briana Pobiner, Chelsea R Betts, Jatmiko, Thomas Sutikna, Matthew W Tocheri

Published in

Science advances. Volume 12. Issue 27. Pages eaeb7219. Jul 03, 2026. Epub Jul 03, 2026.

Abstract

Since its discovery, Homo floresiensis-an extinct, short-statured, and small-brained hominin species from Flores, Indonesia-has often been ascribed unexpectedly advanced behaviors, such as hunting large game and using fire. Here, we report the results of a systematic taphonomic study sampling the proboscidean bone assemblage at Liang Bua where the frequency and locations of predatory marks, along with skeletal part profiles, show that Komodo dragons likely had primary access to these remains leaving behind only low-utility elements for H. floresiensis to scavenge. Moreover, no signs of intentional use of fire are present in the stratigraphic units associated with H. floresiensis. Together, these results suggest that H. floresiensis was not as behaviorally advanced as originally suggested and provides critical insights into the behavioral repertoire of H. floresiensis, raising important questions about its ancestry.

PMID:
42397930
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 04 Jul 2026.

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