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Abstract

The discovery of Homo floresiensis at Liang Bua Cave, Flores Island, in 2003 stands as one of the most revolutionary breakthroughs in twenty-first-century paleoanthropology. This small-bodied hominin species sparked global scientific debate regarding both its species validity and the possibility of pathological conditions in the discovered individual. This study aims to analyze the development of paleoanthropological interpretations of Homo floresiensis at the Liang Bua and Mata Menge sites during the period 2016–2026. A qualitative method with a descriptive-analytical literature review approach was applied to relevant international scientific publications. The results show that redating of the Liang Bua site revised the age of H. floresiensis skeletal remains to 100,000–60,000 years ago, eliminating the possibility of significant interaction with Homo sapiens. Fossil discoveries at Mata Menge, dated to approximately 700,000 years ago, confirmed that small body size was already present long before the Liang Bua period, strengthening the insular dwarfism hypothesis derived from Homo erectus ancestry. Various phylogenetic studies rejected all pathological hypotheses and affirmed H. floresiensis as a valid hominin species. Its extinction approximately 50,000–60,000 years ago was multifactorial, involving climatic changes in the form of seasonal aridification and possible demographic pressure from the arrival of Homo sapiens. This study concludes that Homo floresiensis represents compelling evidence of the complexity of hominin evolution and dispersal in Southeast Asia.

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Bahasa Abstract

Penemuan Homo floresiensis di Gua Liang Bua, Pulau Flores, pada tahun 2003 merupakan salah satu terobosan paling revolusioner dalam sejarah paleoantropologi abad ke-21. Spesies hominin bertubuh kecil ini memicu perdebatan ilmiah global, baik mengenai validitas spesiesnya maupun kemungkinan adanya kelainan patologis pada individu yang ditemukan. Kajian ini bertujuan menganalisis perkembangan interpretasi paleoantropologi Homo floresiensis di situs Liang Bua dan Mata Menge pada periode 2016–2026. Metode yang digunakan adalah kualitatif dengan pendekatan studi pustaka deskriptif-analitis terhadap publikasi ilmiah internasional yang relevan. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahwa penanggalan ulang situs Liang Bua merevisi usia kerangka Homo floresiensis menjadi 100.000–60.000 tahun lalu, mengeliminasi kemungkinan interaksi signifikan dengan Homo sapiens. Temuan fosil di Mata Menge berusia ±700.000 tahun membuktikan bahwa ukuran tubuh kecil telah hadir jauh sebelum periode Liang Bua, memperkuat hipotesis insular dwarfism dari nenek moyang Homo erectus. Berbagai studi filogenetik menolak seluruh hipotesis patologis dan menegaskan Homo floresiensis sebagai spesies hominin yang valid. Kepunahannya sekitar 50.000–60.000 tahun lalu bersifat multifaktorial, melibatkan perubahan iklim berupa aridifikasi musiman dan kemungkinan tekanan demografis akibat kedatangan Homo sapiens. Kajian ini menyimpulkan bahwa Homo floresiensis merupakan bukti nyata kompleksitas evolusi dan dispersi hominin di Asia Tenggara.

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