1935 discovery of Gigantopithecus in Hong Kong medicine shop. 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
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. 🦴🦣
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
Source: Did we ever meet Gigantopithecus? by Stefan Milo