Scientists have discovered the origins of a short, ancient species of human nicknamed 'hobbits' due to their small stature, putting to rest several other theories that had been hotly debated ever since its discovery. Another theory was that it wasn't a new species at all but an early human ancestor with some kind of genetic disorder — possibly Down Syndrome. None of their tests yielded evidence to support the theory that Homo floresiensis evolved from Homo erectus. "But [Homo floresiensis] lived half a world away, and is separated in time by maybe two million years." Homo floresiensis was discovered on the island of Flores in Indonesia in 2003.

Source: CBC News April 22, 2017 09:22 UTC