The origin of Homo floresiensis has finally revealed after several comprehensive studies on their bones found on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2003. The researchers conclude that they evolve from an ancestor in Africa, not from Homo erectus.

According to the research of the Australian National University, the Homo floresiensis or "the hobbits" were the sister species of Homo habilis - one of the earliest human species found in Africa around 1.75 million years ago. The researchers started the study after an Australian Research Council allows them to investigate the location of the newly-found species to identify if it suits on the human evolutionary tree.

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Dr. Debbie Argue, the study leader from ANU School of Archaeology & Anthropology, said that when it comes to the family tree, Homo floresiensis are related to Homo habilis. That only means that the two shared the common ancestors. It is also possible that Homo floresiensis evolved in Africa and then migrated, or their common ancestor went to Africa and then they evolved into Homo floresiensis.

The earlier research focused on the skull and lower jaw of Homo florensiensis, while the study now handled 133 data across the shoulders, jaws, skull, legs, arms, and teeth. The researchers linked them on the family tree, only to get an unsupported result. Dr. Argue later confirmed there are no pieces of evidence on the data that supports the theory that Homo floresiensis evolved from Homo erectus.

Apart from these, the findings have also confirmed other evidence such as the differences of the two when it comes to features, like the variation in the structure of their jaw.

Homo floresiensis was also primitive compared to Homo erectus. Dr. Argue assumes that this analysis could confirm the hypothesis that Homo floresiensis branched off earlier than 1.75 million years ago and likely evolve before the earliest Homo habilis.