[Orophin]

I think that this might be one of Tolkien's biggest over sights. A gap in the story if you will. It is said in the lord of the rings that a race of men called the Boerning keep the area arounf the carrock safe for travelers and trading to come through and without them orcs would control the areas. But as Rumil has stated Beorn lives by himself in the Hobbit and know relatives are mentioned. THat does not mean that there arn't any it just means that we do not know of any. Maybe a race was created in 80 years and there just are not that many of them. Maybe they are a new race that is expanding and growing larger and that is why many people do not know that much about them. That's what I believe to be the most reasonable explanatio of the Beornings situation.