In 1935, paleontologist Ralph von Koenigswald walked into a traditional medicine shop in Hong Kong and made an extraordinary discovery. The fossils there had been sold as 'dragon bones' for traditional Chinese medicine. Here's the amazing part - porcupines had chewed and cached the bones in caves for calcium, inadvertently preserving them for millions of years. During WWII, Koenigswald was imprisoned but managed to bury the fossils in a friend's garden where they survived. 🦴🦣
1935 discovery of Gigantopithecus in Hong Kong medicine shop
Key facts
- Ralph von Koenigswald discovered the first Gigantopithecus fossils in 1935 in a traditional medicine shop in Hong Kong
- The fossils were sold as 'dragon bones' for traditional Chinese medicine
- Porcupines chewed the bones for calcium and stashed them in caves, preserving them for discovery
- Koenigswald was imprisoned during World War II but buried the fossils in a friend's garden where they survived
Sources
Gustav Heinrich Ralph von Koenigswald | Dutch paleontologistbritannica.com
German-Dutch paleontologist GHR von Koenigswald in Chinese drugstores between 1935 and 1939, where they were known as “dragon's teeth.”
[PDF] GIGANTOPITHECUS BLACKI VON KOENIGSWALD, A GIANT ...kkeram1441.files.wordpress.com
3 Von Koenigswald, 1935, 874-875. 4Weidenreich, 1937, 145. Page 13. THE AGE OF GIGANTOPITHECUS. THE MOLARS OF Gigantopithecus were obtained in Chinese ...
Gigantopithecus blacki von Koenigswald 1935 - Encyclopedia of Lifeeol.org
Gigantopithecus blacki is a species of primates in the family Hominidae. EOL has data for 8 attributes, including: Body symmetry.
Gigantopithecus blacki von Koenigswald, a giant fossil hominoid ...digitallibrary.amnh.org
"Gigantopithecus blacki von Koenigswald is known from four molars bought in Chinese drugstores in Hong Kong and Canton. These represent four individuals ...
[PDF] G. H. R. von Koenigswald and Asia-An Obituary - ScholarSpacescholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu
Now Ralph was able to concentrate exclusively on his search for fossil man. His choice of fieldwork was the anticline of Sangiran in the middle of Java,. Dr.
Was this story useful?
Keep exploring
Every site on this page sits on the globe, and the people who research them are on the Discord.
3D Globe · Sites by country · Story Archive · Research Library · Weekly Journal · Search
AI-generated text · images from the original sources · always verify with the sources.