WASHINGTON. An ancient species of great ape, Gigantopithecus blacki, believed to be the largest known to scientists, likely faced extinction due to climate change that altered its habitat and food sources, according to a study published in the journal Nature.
Standing at an impressive 10 feet tall (3 meters) and weighing up to 650 pounds (295 kilograms), Gigantopithecus blacki once inhabited the forested plains of China’s Guangxi region. Researchers, including Renaud Joannes-Boyau from Australia’s Southern Cross University, suggest that the colossal size of these great apes may have contributed to their vulnerability during periods of food scarcity.
“It’s just a massive animal – just really, really big. When food starts to be scarce, it’s so big it can’t climb trees to explore new food sources,” explained Joannes-Boyau.
The study, led by scientists from various institutions, utilized pollen and sediment samples from Guangxi’s caves, along with fossilized teeth. Analysis revealed a decline in fruit production approximately 600,000 years ago, coinciding with an increase in dry seasons. The giant apes, which survived on vegetarian diets comprising fruits and flowers, gradually faced a shortage of their preferred food sources.
Zhang Yingqi of China’s Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, a co-author of the study, noted that the giant apes adapted by consuming less nutritious foods such as tree bark and reeds. Over time, these changes in diet likely contributed to their decline.
The extinction of Gigantopithecus blacki is estimated to have occurred between 215,000 and 295,000 years ago, a period during which the researchers speculate the species gradually succumbed to the changing environment.
The study sheds light on a relatively mysterious period in the great ape family’s evolutionary history. Fossil records indicate that between 2 million and 22 million years ago, numerous great ape species inhabited Africa, Europe, and Asia. However, today, only gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, and humans remain.
Rick Potts, director of the Human Origins Program at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, who was not involved in the study, remarked that while the emergence of the first humans is traced back to Africa, the exact continent where the great ape family originated remains uncertain. The study underscores the impact of environmental changes on ancient species and highlights the vulnerability of large, specialized animals when faced with shifts in their ecosystems.
