Here's the wild thing about Gigantopithecus - we only have about 2,000 teeth and 4 jawbones. No skull, no limb bones, nothing else. Based on those jaws, researchers estimate they stood 2.3-3 meters tall and weighed 200-300 kilograms. Protein analysis places them as close relatives to orangutans, sharing a common ancestor 10-12 million years ago. The tropical climate has prevented any DNA recovery so far. 🔬🦧
Gigantopithecus fossil record limited to teeth and jawbones
Key facts
- Only about 2,000 teeth and 4 mandibles have ever been found
- No cranium, leg bones, or other skeletal elements have been recovered
- Estimated height: 2.3 to 3 meters, weight: 200 to 300 kg
- Lived approximately 2.2 million to 200,000 years ago
- Proteins analysis shows they shared a common ancestor with orangutans 10-12 million years ago
- No DNA has ever been successfully recovered due to the tropical climate
Sources
New Evidence From Tooth Of Extinct Giant Ape Reveals Ancient ...iflscience.com
The G. blacki fossil record now includes thousands of teeth and four partial mandibles from subtropical Southeast Asia.
Cast of a lower jawbone of the largest ape ever (Pleistocene ...woostergeologists.scotblogs.wooster.edu
A commercially-available cast of the lower jawbone of Gigantopithecus blacki, a giant extinct ape. It was produced from an actual Pleistocene fossil found in a ...
Gigantopithecus | Animal Database - Fandomanimals.fandom.com
By 1958, three mandibles and more than 1,300 teeth had been recovered. Gigantopithecus remains have come from sites in Hubei, Guangxi, and Sichuan, from ...
Gigantopithecus mandible 1 in occlusal (image re - ResearchGateresearchgate.net
Gigantopithecus mandible 1 in occlusal (image re- versed) and lateral views, showing the teeth between the first molar and the lateral incisor.
Massive ape's mandibles reveal dangerously dainty diet2newthings.com
The thick jaws and robust, grinding teeth of G. blacki have led scientists to believe the large ape likely lived exclusively on plants.
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