北大西洋的劇烈冷化事件中斷了早期人類移居歐洲的過程

 原文網址：https://www.ibs.re.kr/cop/bbs/BBSMSTR_000000000738/selectBoardArticle.do?nttId=23125&pageIndex=1&searchCnd=&searchWrd=

發表在期刊《科學》(Science)的新研究發現大約在112萬年前，北大西洋發生了一場嚴重的冷化事件，連帶產生的氣候、植被與食物來源變化中斷了早期人類移居歐洲的過程。

112萬7000年前北大西洋的冷化事件造成了歐洲南部的人口減少。(直立人頭骨的圖片由Axel Timmermann提供)。地圖上的粉紅色區域為早期人類棲地的適居程度，因為變得乾冷與食物來源減少而大幅下降的地方。

科學家在非洲最新發現的「蹺蹺板型氣候」驅動了人類演化

 原文網址：https://www.shh.mpg.de/2005624/kaboth-bahr-scerri-african-climate-seesaw?c=1935799

科學家在非洲最新發現的「蹺蹺板型氣候」驅動了人類演化

德國波茨坦大學的Stefanie Kaboth-Bahr博士領導的科學團隊，發現過去有種類似聖嬰現象的氣候模式，主導了撒哈拉以南的非洲過去62萬年的環境變化，這段期間也是人類演化史上的重要時期。之前科學家較常認為人類演化與冰期―間冰期循環有一定的關聯，但團隊發現這個氣候模式對古代撒哈拉以南的非洲造成的影響要來得更大。

研究人員主張低緯度的氣候作用掌管了非洲西部和東部動植物的演化與擴散過程，方法是透過增加資源豐富的環境與穩定的生態過度帶，一般認為這些環境條件對於早期人類來說也很重要。圖片來源：Hans Sell

古代文明早就對地球造成破壞

原文網址：https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190829150702.htm

古代文明早就對地球造成破壞

隨著氣候變遷、全球暖化、再生能源等問題成為重要的國家議題，我們很容易就會認為這些課題僅限於當代社會。不過發表在《科學》的一項大規模合作計畫顯示，早在10000萬年前全球各地的古代人就已經開始改變並影響他們所處的環境。

人類祖先並非古代非洲哺乳類滅絕的元兇

原文網址：https://unews.utah.edu/human-ancestors-not-to-blame-for-ancient-mammal-extinctions-in-africa/

人類祖先並非古代非洲哺乳類滅絕的元兇

新研究發現最近460萬年以來草原擴張造成大型哺乳類逐漸減少

有個歷時已久的說法認為最近數百萬年來非洲大型哺乳類逐漸滅絕，是由我們最早會使用工具的祖先造成。不過一項新的研究對此提出質疑；反之，他們主張長期的環境變遷，主要是草原的擴張才是哺乳類滅絕的元兇。而環境變遷可能是由大氣二氧化碳濃度下降所造成。

肯亞西部挖出的河馬(Hippopotamus amphibius，左)和白犀牛(Ceratotherium simum，右)牙齒化石，年代為更新世晚期。這兩種動物是現存為數不多的巨型草食動物(megaherbivore)。來源：J. Tyler Faith

日趨乾燥且反覆無常的環境可能加速了人類演化

原文網址：https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181008183342.htm

日趨乾燥且反覆無常的環境可能加速了人類演化

證據指出氣候變得反覆無常且越來越乾燥的同時，人類打造石器的技術有了重大改變，而現代智人也跟著出現。

根據10月8日發表在《美國國家科學院院刊》(Proceedings of the National Academy of Science)線上版的研究，在氣候變得越來越乾燥卻又偶爾多雨的情況下，促成了我們的人族祖先迅速演化成解剖上的現代人。

乾季馬加迪湖的湖水蒸發使湖床長出一大片天然鹼的(trona)晶體。背景裡本研究用的鑽井平台矗立在乾涸的湖床之上。圖片來源：Robin Renaut

科學家發現非洲之外最古老的現代人化石

原文網址：https://www.binghamton.edu/news/story/949/scientists-discover-oldest-known-modern-human-fossil-outside-of-africa

科學家發現非洲之外最古老的現代人化石

成員包括紐約州立大學―賓漢頓大學的Rolf Quam，由以色列臺拉維夫大學的Israel Hershkovitz領導的國際大型團隊發現了在非洲之外找到過的最古老現代人類化石。這項發現顯示現代人離開非洲的時間至少比之前認為的還要早了50000年。

「Misliya是項令人興奮的發現。」共同作者，賓漢頓大學的人類學教授Rolf Quam表示，「它呈現了迄今最清楚的證據，顯示我們祖先從非洲遷移出去的時間比過去認為的還要早上許多。這也意謂現代人可能有更長的時間跟其他古人族相遇並產生互動，使他們有更多機會產生文化以及生物層面上的交流。」

這副擁有數顆牙齒的上顎骨化石發現於以色列的Misliya洞窟，其為迦密山上數個史前考古洞穴場址之一。運用幾種不同技術來定年此處的考古材料和化石本身，顯示這具顎骨的年代大致介於17萬5000年至20萬年，將現代人從非洲遷出的時間至少往前推了5萬年。

研究人員依靠微型電腦斷層掃描和三維虛擬模型來分析這具化石遺骸，並跟其他從非洲、歐洲和亞洲發現的人族化石比對。

「雖然Misliya化石在解剖構造上的細節都完全符合現代人，卻也含有一些在尼安德塔人和其他人族身上同樣能見到的特徵。」賓漢頓大學的人類學副教授Quam說。「這項研究的難處之一便是要在Misliya化石上找出只能在現代人身上發現的特徵，它們是最為明確的訊號可以告訴我們Misliya化石究竟是什麼物種。」

考古證據顯示住在Misliya洞穴的居民具有獵捕大型動物的能力並可以控制用火，同時出土的還有一套舊石器時代早中期的石器組，跟在非洲發現，隨著最古老現代人一起發現的石器十分相似。

研究人員表示雖然在非洲曾發現更早的現代人化石，但如果想要瞭解我們所屬物種的演化歷程，現代人從非洲遷出的時間點和路徑是關鍵議題。中東地區是更新世時人族遷移的重要通道，在不同時期曾被現代人和尼安德塔人入主過。

相較於過往研究，Quam表示這項新發現讓我們有機會得知更早以前該區域的人口更迭或者現代人與當地族群的基因交流。最近從古代DNA得出的訊息指出現代人更早之前就已經離開非洲，大概是早於22萬年前，而從Misliya找到的證據確實也與之相符。最近幾個在亞洲發現的考古和化石證據也將現代人首次出現在這些區域的時間更往前推，間接暗示了現代人離開非洲的時間。

這篇文章「The earliest modern humans outside Africa」發表於期刊《科學》(Science)。

Scientists discover oldest known modern human fossil outside of Africa

A large international research team, led by Israel Hershkovitz from Tel Aviv University and including Rolf Quam from Binghamton University, State University of New York, has discovered the earliest modern human fossil ever found outside of Africa. The finding suggests that modern humans left the continent at least 50,000 years earlier than previously thought.

“Misliya is an exciting discovery,” says Rolf Quam, Binghamton University anthropology professor and a coauthor of the study. “It provides the clearest evidence yet that our ancestors first migrated out of Africa much earlier than we previously believed. It also means that modern humans were potentially meeting and interacting during a longer period of time with other archaic human groups, providing more opportunity for cultural and biological exchanges.”

The fossil, an upper jawbone with several teeth, was found at a site called Misliya Cave in Israel, one of several prehistoric cave sites located on Mount Carmel. Several dating techniques applied to archaeological materials and the fossil itself suggest the jawbone is between 175,000-200,000 years old, pushing back the modern human migration out of Africa by at least 50,000 years.

Researchers analyzed the fossil remains relying on microCT scans and 3D virtual models and compared it with other hominin fossils from Africa, Europe and Asia.

“While all of the anatomical details in the Misliya fossil are fully consistent with modern humans, some features are also found in Neandertals and other human groups,” said Quam, associate professor of anthropology at Binghamton. “One of the challenges in this study was identifying features in Misliya that are found only in modern humans. These are the features that provide the clearest signal of what species the Misliya fossil represents.”

The archaeological evidence reveals that the inhabitants of Misliya Cave were capable hunters of large game species, controlled the production of fire and were associated with an Early Middle Paleolithic stone tool kit, similar to that found with the earliest modern humans in Africa.

While older fossils of modern humans have been found in Africa, the timing and routes of modern human migration out of Africa are key issues for understanding the evolution of our own species, said the researchers. The region of the Middle East represents a major corridor for hominin migrations during the Pleistocene and has been occupied at different times by both modern humans and Neandertals.

This new discovery opens the door to demographic replacement or genetic admixture with local populations earlier than previously thought, said Quam. Indeed, the evidence from Misliya is consistent with recent suggestions based on ancient DNA for an earlier migration, prior to 220,000 years ago, of modern humans out of Africa. Several recent archaeological and fossil discoveries in Asia are also pushing back the first appearance of modern humans in the region and, by implication, the migration out of Africa.

The article, “The earliest modern humans outside Africa,” was published in Science Magazine.

原始論文：Israel Hershkovitz, Gerhard W. Weber, Rolf Quam, Mathieu Duval, Rainer Grün, Leslie Kinsley, Avner Ayalon, Miryam Bar-Matthews, Helene Valladas, Norbert Mercier, Juan Luis Arsuaga, María Martinón-Torres, José María Bermúdez de Castro, Cinzia Fornai, Laura Martín-Francés, Rachel Sarig, Hila May, Viktoria A. Krenn, Viviane Slon, Laura Rodríguez, Rebeca García, Carlos Lorenzo, Jose Miguel Carretero, Amos Frumkin, Ruth Shahack-Gross, Daniella E. Bar-Yosef Mayer, Yaming Cui, Xinzhi Wu, Natan Peled, Iris Groman-Yaroslavski, Lior Weissbrod, Reuven Yeshurun, Alexander Tsatskin, Yossi Zaidner, Mina Weinstein-Evron. The earliest modern humans outside Africa. Science, 26 Jan 2018 456-459 DOI: 10.1126/science.aap8369

引用自：Binghamton University. "Scientists discover oldest known modern human fossil outside of Africa."

重新修改現代人散佈至歐亞大陸各處的故事

原文網址：http://www.shh.mpg.de/742617/human-dispersals-africa

重新修改現代人散佈至歐亞大陸各處的故事

日新月異的科技和跨領域研究團隊正在重新塑造我們認知中人類離開非洲大陸的方式和時間――以及他們沿途遇到了什麼樣的人們。

大多數人現在都對傳統的「出非洲說」(“Out of Africa” model)耳熟能詳：在非洲演化出的現代人大約在6萬年前發動了一波離開非洲的移民潮，之後往亞洲各地散佈並抵達澳洲。然而，DNA分析和其他化石辨認技術的進步，加上備受重視的跨領域研究成果，使得研究人員開始重新修訂這則故事。最近的研究指出早於6萬年前人類就已經數度離開過非洲，而且還和歐亞大陸許多處的其他人族雜交繁殖。

德國馬克斯普朗克人類歷史科學研究所和美國夏威夷馬諾大學的研究人員，在回顧關於早期現代人從非洲散佈至亞洲的近期研究之後，認定解剖學上的現代人從非洲散佈出去的事件僅在6萬年前左右發生過一次的傳統觀點，已經無法再當作故事的全貌。此篇發表於期刊《科學》( Science)的分析結果中，回顧了過去十年來在亞洲地區因為技術進步和跨領域合作而得以進行的大量新研究，顯示智人到達亞洲大陸偏遠地區以及近大洋洲的時間比過去認為的早上許多。此外，現代人曾與其他早就生存在亞洲的人族，像是尼安德塔人和丹尼索瓦人雜交的證據，也讓我們這個物種的演化史變得更加複雜。

新模型：現代人曾多次從非洲散佈出去，開始時間可以追溯至12萬年前

作者集結了多篇近期研究做出的發現，以更加精確地描繪人類從非洲散佈至亞洲的整體圖像。雖然科學家一度認為人類首度也是唯一一次離開非洲的移民潮發生在6萬年前左右，近期研究卻在亞洲的遠方疆域找到了年代可能古老許多的現代人化石。舉例來說，在中國南方和中部定年結果為7萬至12萬年前的多處遺址中有發現到智人的遺骸。其他發現則指出現代人在早於6萬年前就已經到達東南亞和澳洲。

然而，其他近期研究確實也證明今日所有非洲人以外的族群，都是從一個大約在6萬年前離開非洲的祖先族群分支出來。這可能意謂著早在12萬年前就開始有好幾波規模較小的移民從非洲散佈出去，之後在6萬年前發生了大型散佈事件。雖然近期散佈出去的族群提供了今日非洲人以外族群的整體基因組成，較早移民的痕跡仍然清晰可見。

馬克斯普朗克人類歷史科學研究所的Michael Petraglia解釋：「早於6萬年前最初幾波離開非洲的遷徙事件可能是由採集者小團體組成，而這些早期散佈事件中至少有些在今日人類族群的基因中留下了少許痕跡。接下來才發生的大型『出非洲』事件，時間最有可能是在6萬年前左右或者更晚。」

多次雜交事件

近期的基因研究已經解決了現代人是否有跟古代其他人族雜交的問題，答案是肯定的。現代人不只有跟尼安德塔人雜交過，還有最近發現的智人近親―—丹尼索瓦人，以及另外一種目前尚未辨明的前現代人族。一項研究估計現今所有非洲人以外的人類皆有1-4%的尼安德塔人血統；另一個團隊則估計現在的美拉尼西亞人平均有5%的尼安德塔人血統。總之，目前已經可以確定現代人、尼安德塔人、丹尼索瓦人，或許還有其他人族群落，在亞洲的生存年代與活動範圍可能有所重疊，而他們之間的互動頻率想必非常頻繁。

人族之間彼此交流的證據越來越多也代表物質文化的傳播過程其實比過往認為得還要更加複雜。夏威夷馬諾大學的Christopher Bae表示：「我們從行為方面的紀錄確實可以看出所謂的『現代人行為』並非是單純地隨著時間進展從西往東傳。反之，還需要同時考量到各地生態系的差異，以及晚更新世分布在亞洲各處不同人族群落之間的行為差異。」

從這些最新發現我們已經開始瞭解到人類在整個舊世界移動的足跡比我們之前認為的還要複雜許多，而且還有許多問題尚待解決。作者主張要發展出更為複雜的模型來解釋人類的擴張過程，並且要在亞洲多處迄今仍未進行研究的地方展開新的研究工作。此外，重新審視在現代分析方法發展出來以前採集到的樣品也很重要，或許我們能藉此溫故知新。同為馬克斯普朗克人類歷史科學研究所的Katerina Douka表示：「幸運的是過去數十年來亞洲發起了越來越多跨領域研究計畫。未來這些研究發表的資訊將有助於填補演化紀錄中的空缺。」

「能在這個時刻參與亞洲各地的跨領域研究計畫是再令人興奮不過了。」Bae補充。

Revising the story of the dispersal of modern humans across Eurasia

Technological advances and multidisciplinary research teams are reshaping our understanding of when and how humans left Africa -- and who they met along the way.

Most people are now familiar with the traditional “Out of Africa” model: modern humans evolved in Africa and then dispersed across Asia and reached Australia in a single wave about 60,000 years ago. However, technological advances in DNA analysis and other fossil identification techniques, as well as an emphasis on multidisciplinary research, are revising this story. Recent discoveries show that humans left Africa multiple times prior to 60,000 years ago, and that they interbred with other hominins in many locations across Eurasia.

A review of recent research on dispersals by early modern humans from Africa to Asia by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History and the University of Hawai’i at Manoa confirms that the traditional view of a single dispersal of anatomically modern humans out of Africa around 60,000 years ago can no longer be seen as the full story. The analysis, published in the journal Science, reviews the plethora of new discoveries being reported from Asia over the past decade, which were made possible by technological advances and interdisciplinary collaborations, and shows that Homo sapiens reached distant parts of the Asian continent, as well as Near Oceania, much earlier than previously thought. Additionally, evidence that modern humans interbred with other hominins already present in Asia, such as Neanderthals and Denisovans, complicates the evolutionary history of our species.

New model: Multiple dispersals of modern humans out of Africa, beginning as early as 120,000 years ago

The authors brought together findings from multiple recent studies to refine the picture of human dispersals out of Africa and into Asia. While scientists once thought that humans first left Africa in a single wave of migration about 60,000 years ago, recent studies have identified modern human fossils in far reaches of Asia that are potentially much older. For example, H. sapiens remains have been found at multiple sites in southern and central China that have been dated to between 70,000 and 120,000 years ago. Additional finds indicate that modern humans reached Southeast Asia and Australia prior to 60,000 years ago.

However, other recent studies do confirm that all present-day non-African populations branched off from a single ancestral population in Africa approximately 60,000 years ago. This could indicate that there were multiple, smaller dispersals of humans out of Africa beginning as early as 120,000 years ago, followed by a major dispersal 60,000 years ago. While the recent dispersal contributed the bulk of the genetic make-up of present-day non-Africans, the earlier dispersals are still evident.

“The initial dispersals out of Africa prior to 60,000 years ago were likely by small groups of foragers, and at least some of these early dispersals left low-level genetic traces in modern human populations. A later, major ‘Out of Africa’ event most likely occurred around 60,000 years ago or thereafter,” explains Michael Petraglia of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.

Multiple interbreeding events

Recent genetic research has resolved the question of whether or not modern humans interbred with other ancient hominins – they definitely did. Modern humans interbred not only with Neanderthals, but also with our recently-discovered relatives the Denisovans, as well as a currently unidentified population of pre-modern hominins. One estimate is that all present-day non-Africans have 1-4% Neanderthal heritage, while another group has estimated that modern Melanesians have an average of 5% Denisovan heritage. In all, it is now clear that modern humans, Neanderthals, Denisovans and perhaps other hominin groups likely overlapped in time and space in Asia, and they certainly had many instances of interaction.

The increasing evidence of interactions suggests that the spread of material culture is also more complicated than previously thought. “Indeed, what we are seeing in the behavioral record is that the spread of so-called modern human behaviors did not occur in a simple time-transgressive process from west to east. Rather, ecological variation needs to be considered in concert with behavioral variation between the different hominin populations present in Asia during the Late Pleistocene,” explains Christopher Bae of the University of Hawai’i at Manoa.

In light of these new discoveries, our understanding of human movements across the Old World has become much more complex, and there are still many questions left open. The authors argue for the development of more complicated models of human dispersals and for conducting new research in the many areas of Asia where none has been done to date. Additionally, it will be important to review materials collected prior to the development of modern analytic methods, to see what more can now be learned from them. “Fortunately,” states Katerina Douka, also of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, “there have been an increasing number of multidisciplinary research programs launched in Asia over the past few decades. The information that is being reported is helping to fill in the gaps in the evolutionary records.”

“It is an exciting time to be involved with interdisciplinary research projects across Asia,” adds Bae.

原始論文：Christopher J. Bae, Katerina Douka, Michael D. Petraglia. On the origin of modern humans: Asian perspectives. Science, 2017; 358 (6368): eaai9067 DOI: 10.1126/science.aai9067

引用自：Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. "Revising the story of the dispersal of modern humans across Eurasia: Technological advances and multidisciplinary research teams are reshaping our understanding of when and how humans left Africa -- and who they met along the way."

人屬起源可能只是場偶然發生的事件

原文網址：https://gwtoday.gwu.edu/origin-human-genus-may-have-occurred-chance

人屬起源可能只是場偶然發生的事件

Kristen Mitchell

一則經常被引用的論述認為比祖先更加聰明且更善於使用工具的人類是因為氣候變遷而誕生。但由喬治華盛頓大學人類古生物學高等研究中心的研究人員發表的新論文卻對此提出質疑。

原文網址：www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170607133241.htm

我們族類的第一位：最早的智人化石

科學家在摩洛哥的Jebel Irhoud發現最古老的智人化石

由(德國萊比錫)馬克斯普朗克演化人類學研究所的Jean-Jacques Hublin和(摩洛哥拉巴特)國立考古學與文化遺產研究所的Abdelouahed Ben-Ncer領導的國際研究團隊，在摩洛哥的Jebel Irhoud發現了智人(Homo sapiens)的化石骨骸，以及石器和其他動物的骨骸。這些骸骨的定年結果為30萬年前，代表了我們所屬物種中有確切定年結果的最古老化石證據，此年代比之前最古老的智人化石還早了10萬年。他們的發現刊登於6月8日的期刊《自然》( Nature)，作者分別為Hublin等人和Richter等人，內容揭露出人類複雜的演化史可能曾在整個非洲大陸上演。

起源於草原的最早人類

原文網址：http://www.geologypage.com/2017/05/grassy-beginning-earliest-homo.html

起源於草原的最早人類

2013年，亞歷桑納州立大學的研究團隊，在衣索比亞阿瓦什低谷的雷迪-杰拉魯(Ledi-Geraru)，發現了我們自身所屬的人屬(Homo)出現的最早證據。這具帶有牙齒的顎骨定年結果為280萬年前，比先前所知的人屬化石還要早了40萬年。在此發現之後，研究人員的焦點轉往重建這位遠古人類祖先的居住環境，以瞭解他為何會在此時此地出現。

終於揭曉印尼哈比人的起源

原文網址：www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170421084917.htm

印尼哈比人的起源終於揭曉了

佛羅勒斯人(Homo floresiensis)是2003年發現於印尼佛羅勒斯島上的一個矮小人種。對其骸骨進行的最詳盡研究發現他們極有可能是從生活在非洲的祖先演化而成，並非許多人認為的直立人(Homo erectus)。

印尼的「哈比人」也許比之前認為的還要早滅絕

原文網址：www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160330135304.htm

Indonesian 'Hobbits' may have died out sooner than thought

印尼的「哈比人」也許比之前認為的還要早滅絕

An ancient species of pint-sized humans discovered in the tropics of Indonesia may have met their demise earlier than once believed, according to an international team of scientists who reinvestigated the original finding.

根據一個國際科學家團隊重新調查的結果，於熱帶印尼發現的一種矮小的古代人種，他們比當初發現時認為的還要早迎接滅亡。

Published in the journal Nature this week, the group challenges reports that these inhabitants of remote Flores island co-existed with modern humans for tens of thousands of years.

之前發表的論文認為這些住在遠離塵囂的佛羅勒斯島上的居民，曾經跟現代人共同生活了數萬年之久。但本周刊登於《自然》(Nature)期刊上的論文則對此說法提出了質疑。

They found that the youngest age for Homo floresiensis, dubbed the 'Hobbit', is around 50,000 years ago not between 13,000 and 11,000 years as initially claimed.

他們發現這些暱稱為「哈比人」的佛羅勒斯人(Homo floresiensis)年代最近的骨骸為距今50,000年前，而非原先聲稱的距今11,000年前。

Led by Indonesian scientists and involving researchers from Griffith University's Research Centre of Human Evolution (RCHE) the team found problems with prior dating efforts at the cave site, Liang Bua.

這個團隊由印尼的科學家領導，並且有格里菲斯大學人類演化中心(RCHE)的研究人員參與其中。他們發現之前對這些骨骸出土的洞穴場址-梁布亞(Liang Bua)進行的定年方法有些問題。

"In fact, Homo floresiensis seems to have disappeared soon after our species reached Flores, suggesting it was us who drove them to extinction," says Associate Professor Maxime Aubert, a geochronologist and archaeologist at RCHE, who with RCHE's Director Professor Rainer measured the amount of uranium and thorium inside Homo floresiensis fossils to test their age.

「事實上，佛羅勒斯人似乎在我們所屬的物種到達佛羅勒斯島不久後就消失了。這意味著他們的滅亡是由我們促成的。」 RCHE的地質定年學家及考古學家 Maxime Aubert副教授說。他跟RCHE的計畫主持人， Rainer教授測量了佛羅勒斯人化石中的鈾和釷含量，以測得他們的生存年代。

"The science is unequivocal,'' Aubert said.

「這些科學證據可說無庸置疑。」Aubert說。

"The youngest Hobbit skeletal remains occur at 60,000 years ago but evidence for their simple stone tools continues until 50,000 years ago. After this there are no more traces of these humans."

「年代最近的哈比人化石大約是距今60,000年前，而他們遺留下來的粗糙石器則證明了他們直到55,000年前仍生活於此。然而在這之後就再也沒有這些人類生存於此的蛛絲馬跡了。」

While excavating at the limestone cave of Liang Bua in 2003, archaeologists found bones from diminutive humans unlike any people alive today. The researchers concluded the tiny cave dwellers evolved from an older branch of the human family that had been marooned on Flores for at least a million years. It was thought that this previously unknown population lived on Flores until about 12,000 years ago.

考古學家於2003年挖掘了位於梁布亞的石灰岩洞穴，並發現這些跟現今生存的人們截然不同的矮小人類骨骸。研究人員得出的結論認為這些矮小的穴居人是從人屬中古老的一支演化而來，他們漂流並孤立在佛羅勒斯島上至少已有100萬年的歷史。過去認為這群前所未見的人種至少在距今12,000年前都還生活在佛羅勒斯島上。

But the site is large and complex and the original excavators dug only a tiny portion of it. Years of further excavation has led to a much clearer understanding of the order of archaeological layers. It is now evident that when the original team collected samples for dating the main layer containing Hobbit bones they mistakenly took them from an overlying layer that is similar in composition, but far younger.

然而，最初開挖工作挖掘的只不過是這個巨大且複雜的遺址的一部分而已。經過數年的後續開挖工作後，研究人員更加瞭解了這些考古地層的年代先後順序。現在他們確知原先的團隊在定年含有哈比人化石的主要岩層時，他們誤從上覆的岩層採集樣品，雖然成分相似，然而年代卻年輕了許多。

"This problem has now been resolved and the newly published dates provide a more reliable estimate of the antiquity of this species,'' Aubert said.

「我們現在已經解決了這項問題。在新發表的論文中，我們提供了對這個物種的年代更可信的預估結果。」

But the mystery of what happened to these creatures remains.

然而，這個物種遭遇的一切仍然是個懸而未解的謎團。

RCHE archaeologist Dr Adam Brumm, who also participated in the study, said Hobbits are likely to have inhabited other Flores caves which may yield more recent signs of their existence. He believes Homo floresiensis probably suffered the same fate that befell Europe's Neanderthals -- our species simply out-competed and replaced them within a few thousand years.

同樣參與了此研究的RCHE考古學家，Adam Brumm教授說哈比人很可能也曾在佛羅勒斯島上的其他洞穴居住過，而我們或許能從中取得他們生活過的證據，且比先前的年代還要更近。他相信佛羅勒斯人遭受的厄運跟降臨在歐洲尼安德塔人身上的相同-我們這個物種在幾千內便淘汰並徹底取代了他們。

"They might have retreated to more remote parts of Flores, but it's a small place and they couldn't have avoided our species for long. I think their days were numbered the moment we set foot on the island."

「他們相當有可能撤離到佛羅勒斯島上更加隱密之處，但那蕞爾之地並不足以讓他們逃離我們這個物種的威脅太久。我想當我們登上這座島嶼的那一刻開始，他們的喪鐘就已經響起了。」

引用自：Griffith University. "Indonesian 'Hobbits' may have died out sooner than thought." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 March 2016.