Skip to content
  • Home
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Categories
    • Hiking & Activities
    • Outdoor Gear
    • Regional Specifics
    • Natural Environments
    • Weather & Forecasts
    • Geology & Landform
Geoscience.blogYour Compass for Earth's Wonders & Outdoor Adventures
  • Home
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Categories
    • Hiking & Activities
    • Outdoor Gear
    • Regional Specifics
    • Natural Environments
    • Weather & Forecasts
    • Geology & Landform
Posted on January 17, 2024 (Updated on July 17, 2025)

Unraveling the Age Enigma: Carbon-Dating the Homo floresiensis Remains of 2003

Historical Aspects

Unraveling the Age Enigma: Carbon-Dating the Homo floresiensis Remains of 2003

Remember the buzz when Homo floresiensis, those tiny “hobbit” hominins, were discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores back in 2003? It was huge! Suddenly, we had this brand-new piece of the human evolution puzzle, but figuring out where it fit was proving to be a real head-scratcher. A big part of that puzzle was pinning down their age, and that’s where radiocarbon dating came in – though it’s been anything but a smooth ride.

Now, radiocarbon dating, or carbon-14 dating, is basically a way of telling how old something organic is by measuring how much of a radioactive type of carbon, carbon-14, is still hanging around. This stuff is made when cosmic rays from space hit nitrogen in the air. Living things soak it up during their lives, but the moment they kick the bucket, they stop absorbing it, and the carbon-14 starts to decay at a steady pace. So, by checking how much is left, scientists can take a pretty good guess at when something died.

The first attempts to date the Homo floresiensis bones focused on the dirt they were buried in at the Liang Bua cave. Back in 2004, Nature published these findings, suggesting the hobbit remains, especially the main skeleton LB1, were only about 18,000 years old! The stone tools found nearby? They ranged from 95,000 to 13,000 years old. Talk about a bombshell! If these dates were right, it meant Homo floresiensis chilled alongside modern humans (Homo sapiens) for potentially tens of thousands of years. Imagine that – two different human species sharing the same space! It would have turned everything we thought we knew about human evolution on its head.

But hold on a minute. These dates didn’t sit right with everyone, and for good reason. The big worry was contamination. You see, the Liang Bua cave isn’t exactly a pristine lab. Water seeps in, things get moved around, and younger carbon can easily mix with older stuff. This could make the fossils look way younger than they actually were – a bit like trying to judge someone’s age based on a fake ID.

So, scientists went back to the drawing board and tried different dating methods and looked at different materials. They used things like uranium-series dating, which looks at how uranium decays, and electron spin resonance (ESR) dating, which measures trapped electrons in tooth enamel. These methods started giving us older, more consistent results.

Then, in 2016, Nature dropped another bomb: a revised timeline for Homo floresiensis at Liang Bua. This time, they used uranium-series dating on flowstone – those cave formations you see – above and below the fossil layers, along with a better understanding of the cave’s layers. The result? They pushed the Homo floresiensis fossils back to between 60,000 and 50,000 years ago. The tools? Between 50,000 and 100,000 years ago. This was a game-changer! It meant the hobbits likely disappeared from Flores way earlier than we initially thought.

These new dates also helped calm down the whole “hobbits and humans living together” debate. While modern humans did rock up in the area around 50,000 years ago, it now seems like there might have been only a short overlap, or maybe none at all, between the two species on Flores.

Of course, even with all this fancy science, we still don’t have all the answers. The Liang Bua cave is a complicated place, and dating methods aren’t perfect. We might never know the exact age of those fossils. But by using different dating tricks and carefully studying the cave’s layers, we’ve got a much clearer picture of when these amazing little hominins lived and how they fit into our story. And who knows? Maybe future digs at Liang Bua and other spots on Flores will reveal even more about the Homo floresiensis mystery. The story’s far from over!

New Posts

  • Headlamp Battery Life: Pro Guide to Extending Your Rechargeable Lumens
  • Post-Trip Protocol: Your Guide to Drying Camping Gear & Preventing Mold
  • Backcountry Repair Kit: Your Essential Guide to On-Trail Gear Fixes
  • Dehydrated Food Storage: Pro Guide for Long-Term Adventure Meals
  • Hiking Water Filter Care: Pro Guide to Cleaning & Maintenance
  • Protecting Your Treasures: Safely Transporting Delicate Geological Samples
  • How to Clean Binoculars Professionally: A Scratch-Free Guide
  • Adventure Gear Organization: Tame Your Closet for Fast Access
  • No More Rust: Pro Guide to Protecting Your Outdoor Metal Tools
  • How to Fix a Leaky Tent: Your Guide to Re-Waterproofing & Tent Repair
  • Long-Term Map & Document Storage: The Ideal Way to Preserve Physical Treasures
  • How to Deep Clean Water Bottles & Prevent Mold in Hydration Bladders
  • Night Hiking Safety: Your Headlamp Checklist Before You Go
  • How Deep Are Mountain Roots? Unveiling Earth’s Hidden Foundations

Categories

  • Climate & Climate Zones
  • Data & Analysis
  • Earth Science
  • Energy & Resources
  • General Knowledge & Education
  • Geology & Landform
  • Hiking & Activities
  • Historical Aspects
  • Human Impact
  • Modeling & Prediction
  • Natural Environments
  • Outdoor Gear
  • Polar & Ice Regions
  • Regional Specifics
  • Safety & Hazards
  • Software & Programming
  • Space & Navigation
  • Storage
  • Water Bodies
  • Weather & Forecasts
  • Wildlife & Biology

Categories

  • Climate & Climate Zones
  • Data & Analysis
  • Earth Science
  • Energy & Resources
  • General Knowledge & Education
  • Geology & Landform
  • Hiking & Activities
  • Historical Aspects
  • Human Impact
  • Modeling & Prediction
  • Natural Environments
  • Outdoor Gear
  • Polar & Ice Regions
  • Regional Specifics
  • Safety & Hazards
  • Software & Programming
  • Space & Navigation
  • Storage
  • Water Bodies
  • Weather & Forecasts
  • Wildlife & Biology
  • English
  • Deutsch
  • Français
  • Home
  • About
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright (с) geoscience.blog 2025

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT