| Gigantopithecus |
Articles about Gigantopithecus |
Information AboutGigantopithecus |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT GIGANTOPITHECUS | |
| prehistoric apes | |
| pleistocene mammals | |
| pleistocene extinctions | |
| megafauna of eurasia | |
''Gigantopithecus'' was a Genus of Ape that existed from as long ago as 5 million years ago and as recently as 100 thousand years ago in what are today the countries of China , India , and Vietnam . The fossil record suggests that the ''Gigantopithecus'' species were the largest apes that ever lived. It was probably a Quadruped and an Herbivore and with a diet that consisting primarily of bamboo, possibly subsidized with seasonal fruits. Although it is not known why ''Gigantopithecus'' died out, researchers believe that climate change and resource competition with better adapted species were the main reasons. Based on the slim Fossil evidence, primarily huge molars, nearly one inch square teeth, recovered from Chinese traditional medicine shops, but clearly genuine, ''Gigantopithecus'' was likely about 3 metres tall and weighed from 300 to 500 kg — 2 to 3 times larger than Gorilla s, although its closest living relatives are the Orangutan s. Some Cryptozoologists have claimed that a race of gigantopithecines are the legendary primates known in various geographic locations as Bigfoot , Yowie , Yeren or Yeti . As the discovery and description of the creature first occurred in the 1920s, it may have had some influence on the core concept of a super large gorilla-like ape that became King Kong , the movie monster, in the 1933 film classic - in fact, a mock documentary about Skull Island on the DVD for the 2005 Remake Of The Film suggests that Kong's species evolved from ''Gigantopithecus''. REFERENCES
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