Study: Climate Change Caused Extinction of Ancient Giant Ape

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Facts

  • A new study published in the journal Nature on Wednesday found that the world's largest-ever primate — the Gigantopithecus blacki, which stood at 10 feet tall and weighed as much as 660 pounds — went extinct over 200K years ago after it was left without its primary diet, fruit, due to a changing climate.1
  • The Gigantopithecus thrived in the region between the Yangtze River and the South China Sea for millions of years, sustained by an almost year-round fruit supply, before the climate turned dry and was divided by seasons. Because of this, it was forced to shift to a more fiber-based and less nutritious diet.2
  • The study's researchers determined that the primate went extinct between 295K and 215K years ago. They found changes in tooth wear due to the ape's shift from relying on fruits to eating tree bark and twigs, with its size preventing it from climbing trees or hunting prey, eventually resulting in extinction.3
  • After analyzing sediment and teeth fossils — collected from 22 caves in China's Guangxi region over nearly 10 years — the team also found evidence of chronic stress among the Gigantopithecus population as it depleted.4
  • Since cranial fossils are the only remnants left, it's not exactly clear what the primate looked like. However, with its upper and lower molars at 57.8% and 33% larger than a gorilla's, respectively, scientists could estimate its weight.2
  • This follows another study published in Nature in 2019 that discovered that the Gigantopithecus was closely related to orangutans, prompting questions over why the orangutan species Pongo weidenreichi — which also lived in Southeast Asia and whose relatives still do today — survived while the Gigantopithecus didn't.3

Sources: 1CBS, 2Axios, 3Science.org and 4CNN.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Medriva. The extinction of the Gigantopithecus not only tells us about the ancient past but also provides lessons on how to deal with climate change today. Due to a drying climate millennia ago, this massive primate — which would typically rule atop the food chain due to its size — was left without the necessary fruits required for survival. The world should take note of this study and use it to protect our ailing ecosystem today.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Human Progress. What caused the Gigantopithecus to go extinct is not happening today; in fact, the opposite is occurring. Studies have found that the rising amount of CO2 in the atmosphere has inadvertently increased global greening. This greening has resulted in an abundance of vegetation for species to eat, ranging from the arctic tundra and coral reefs to rainforests and even the deserts of Africa.

Predictions