Were there really "Hobbits"?

This is just a strange archeological find.  In Indonesia they have discovered what appears to be a race of humans who were about a meter in height.  The local islanders have myths about these small people, which lends to the idea that oral history contains some record of the discovered race.  One thing I found funny about the articles:

“LB1 [The name of the discovered remains] shared its island with a golden retriever-sized rat, giant tortoises and huge lizards - including Komodo dragons - and a pony-sized dwarf elephant called Stegodon which the “hobbits” probably hunted.”

Hmmm. how many myths can you expose…..a golden retriever-sized rat?  ROUSs {Rodents Of Unusual Size}…..I don’t think they exist.  DOH!