Gigantopithecus blacki lived in southern China and is considered the largest primate in Earth's history. According to predictions, these animals would have reached a height of three meters and a weight of 300 kilograms, 50% more than the largest gorillas alive today. Relatives of orangutans, they died out around 300,000 years ago, but the cause of their disappearance remains a mystery to science.
New theory on species extinction
- The species is still considered mysterious, also because the fossils found so far only correspond to the monkey's oral anatomy: four jaws and around 2,000 isolated teeth.
- The comparison with today's gorillas also makes sense when you consider that the ancient ape was apparently exclusively a herbivore.
- The teeth of Gigantopithecus have features that indicate an adaptation to consuming fibrous plant material, abundant fruits, and abrasive plants (which can wear down teeth).
- But now a study published in the journal Nature suggests that the primate is likely extinct due to the continued loss of the forests in which it fed.
- The information comes from Folha de São Paulo.
Disappearing forests and the impact on the ancient monkey
During the research, scientists from Chinese, Australian and South African institutions focused their efforts on two fronts. On the one hand, they conducted detailed analyzes of 22 Chinese caves with and without fossils of the species to try to accurately date the primate's presence over time and also reconstruct changes in its environment over time.
On the other hand, the chemical composition of the animals' teeth was studied to try to understand the changes in their diet and lifestyle over time. It was also possible to compare these dental features of Gigantopithecus with those of a monkey that was much smaller than its counterpart. This is the Pongo weidenreichi, an ancient orangutan.
The study confirmed that there have been significant changes in the vegetation of southern China over time. While 2 million years ago the environment was forested and dominated by various species of large trees, the situation changes significantly between 300,000 and 200,000 years ago, coinciding with the “extinction window” estimated for the monkey. The large forest areas are now interrupted by open areas of vegetation with much more grass.
In addition, the teeth of both species show that food and access to water were much better for primates at the beginning of the period than at the time of Gigantopithecus' extinction. This can be estimated by looking at layers in the teeth that had different chemical compositions as the animals grew.
These layers become inaccurate in later times, which would indicate a decline in the variety of foods accessible to animals. In the case of primates, however, the signs of this are much more severe, suggesting that they had greater difficulty coping with the scarcity of resources, especially given their enormous size.
This decline in dietary diversity would lead to chronic stress, potentially manifesting itself in changes in offspring breastfeeding behavior, lower reproductive rates, malnutrition and difficulty finding food. Kira Westaway, one of the study coordinators
Although archaic humans were already living in the region at this time, there is no evidence that they hunted Gigantopithecus.
Digital look