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Why did Homo floresiensis disappear from Liang Bua about 60,000-50,000 years ago?

Asked 26 Oct 2026 by ·Part of Is Homo floresiensis a distinct species, or are the Liang Bua remains pathological modern humans?·3 answers·0·0 following
Most likely: progressive drying of the landscape, a collapse of Stegodon and competition for water and prey drove the…Ahead on the evidence, not yet confirmed. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

Where it stands

Three answers have been proposed. Progressive drying of the landscape, a collapse of Stegodon and competition for water and prey drove the… leads, with evidence 1 for: partly supported by its tests. Two are still possible.

Why it matters

The revised dates removed the coexistence with modern humans that the 2004 dates implied, and raised the question of what ended the species⁠[1]. A 2025 climate record bears directly on it⁠[2].

Answers 3

Evidence: 1 for
Most likely
Arriving modern humans displaced or killed them.
Tested, but the results don't decide it
Evidence: 1 against
Disputed
None of these.
Not tested enough to call either way
Evidence: none yet
Still possible

History

  1. Sutikna et al. puts forward: arriving modern humans displaced or killed them.
  2. Sutikna et al.: the skeletal remains end about 60,000 years ago and the tools about 50,000, before modern humans are recorded…Against: Arriving modern humans displaced or killed them.
  3. Gagan et al. puts forward: progressive drying of the landscape, a collapse of Stegodon and competition for water and prey drove the…
  4. Gagan et al.: summer rainfall reached a record low at 61,000-55,000 years ago as Stegodon declined.For: Progressive drying of the landscape, a collapse of Stegodon and competition for water and prey drove the…
  5. Asked on this site
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