Humans May Have Met ‘Hobbits’ in Australia 60,000 Years Ago

Early humans may have encountered now-extinct species like Homo floresiensis, often called “hobbits,” as they journeyed toward Australia roughly 60,000 years ago, according to a new genetic study.

The findings offer fresh insight into how ancient humans reached the continent and suggest that these early populations may have crossed paths with archaic human relatives while migrating across Southeast Asia.

Researchers analyzed DNA from 2,456 individuals, including both ancient and present-day Aboriginal Australians and New Guineans. The study confirms that humans began settling northern Australia around 60,000 years ago.

Along their route, they likely interacted with species such as Homo longi, H. luzonensis, and H. floresiensis. While the extent of these interactions is still unclear, the presence of multiple hominin groups in the region at the same time increases the likelihood of contact.

New genetic data shifts timeline of human arrival

The research, published in the journal Science Advances on Nov. 28, supports the longer timeline for human arrival in Australia, previously backed by archaeological evidence and Aboriginal oral history.

Past estimates ranged from 47,000 to 51,000 years, but the new study leans firmly toward the earlier window of 60,000 to 65,000 years.

Martin Richards, an archaeogeneticist at the University of Huddersfield in the United Kingdom, said the results provide the strongest genetic support yet for the long chronology.

He added that the data align closely with both archaeological records and environmental evidence of early entry into the region known as Sahul, the ancient landmass that once connected present-day Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea.

Genetic tools reveal how early populations split

The researchers used a molecular clock method, which tracks genetic mutations over time to estimate when populations diverged.

They focused on mitochondrial DNA inherited through the maternal line and Y-chromosome DNA passed through the paternal line. All statistical models pointed to a settlement date around 60,000 years ago.

The genetic data also revealed two distinct migration paths. One group traveled through what is now Indonesia, while another came by way of the Philippine archipelago. According to Richards, both groups originated from a single population that left Africa 70,000 to 80,000 years ago and likely split during their movement through South or Southeast Asia.

Humans and ‘hobbits’ may have crossed paths in Australia

Helen Farr, an archaeologist at the University of Southampton and co-author of the study, said the findings underscore the deep-rooted heritage of Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders.

She emphasized that the data confirm long-standing connections to both land and sea, going back tens of thousands of years.

Adam Brumm, an archaeologist from Griffith University who was not involved in the study, noted that the genetic evidence reinforces the importance of early seafaring in human expansion and supports the longer timeline of human arrival in Sahul.