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Giant Ape's Extinction Linked to Inability to Adapt to Changing Environment

The Gigantopithecus blacki, the largest primate ever, went extinct due to its struggle to adapt its food habits to environmental changes, a new study finds.

A group of Gigantopithecus blacki great apes
Artist illustration of great ape with orange-yellow eyes and flaring nostrils.
The study is based on evidence collected from 22 cave sites across China’s southern Guangxi region. Photo: Zhang Yingqi
Many of the caves containing Gigantopithecus fossils have been found in Guangxi's distinctive karst landscape.

Overview

  • Gigantopithecus blacki, the largest primate ever to walk the Earth, went extinct between 295,000 and 215,000 years ago due to its inability to adapt to a changing environment.
  • The giant ape, which stood nearly 10 feet tall and weighed up to 660 pounds, thrived in dense forests with heavy cover and diverse food sources.
  • However, around 700,000 to 600,000 years ago, the climate became more seasonal, leading to changes in plant communities and a decrease in food diversity.
  • G. blacki relied on less nutritious fallback food such as bark and twigs when its preferred food sources were not available, leading to chronic stress and dwindling numbers.
  • In contrast, the closely related orangutan was able to adapt its size, behavior, and habitat preferences as conditions changed, allowing it to survive longer.