primitive hominoids

Gigantopithecus blacki

Standing an enormous 3 metres (9' 10") in height, Gigantopithecus may be the largest primate ever to have lived. The name means "Gigantic Ape of Black" after the 20th century archaeologist Davidson Black, and it lived somewhere between 6.3 million to 200,000 years ago, a relative of Sivapithecus.

Geographical distribution is sketchy, since the majority of remains are from one site: Liucheng Cave in Liuzhou, China. There have been other finds in Viet Nam and in China, so that its range can clearly be defined as South East Asia.

A separate species, Gigantopithecus giganteus, existed in Northern India, but this specimen predates Gigantopithecus blacki by about five million years, and was either a sister species that died out much earlier, or a direct ancestor. Either way, it clearly demonstrates the eastwards migration of hominoids from Africa.

Gigantopithecus had a broad, short face with a massive jaw and teeth designed for stripping bamboo shoots in the dense forests of its habitat. Like other big herbivores, Gigantopithecus was probably a slow mover. But it had little need for speed. Its feeding habits required it to do little more than move from place to place as it systematically stripped vegetation from its surroundings.

Homo erectus may have hunted and eaten juvenile or injured Gigantopithecus, but it is unlikely they would have taken on an enormous adult. Gigantopithecus males were much larger than the females, suggesting there may have been strong competition for mates amongst males.

Extinction probably came from a lessening of resources. Gigantopithecus was in direct competition for foodstocks with the Giant Panda, and the arrival of Homo erectus would have seen even more bamboo resources depleted. If the back-up source of fruit was also being harvested by Homo erectus, then one of the periodic die-offs of bamboo which occur would have tipped the balance against Gigantopithecus.

Image, left, & core text © BBC
Image, right, © Skulls Unlimited Intl