The largest known primates went extinct between 295,000 and 215,000 years ago, probably because they were unable to adapt their food preferences to a changing climate.

A relative of modern orangutans, Gigantopithecus brachy Known as “Giganto”, it was 3 meters tall and weighed up to 300 kilograms.

Despite living for more than two million years, the species has been shrouded in mystery since 1935, when a fossilized tooth was discovered in a traditional medicine store in Hong Kong. The giant tooth was initially thought to belong to a dragon, but paleontologists soon discovered it. In fact, it turns out that it belongs to a primate.

“When I think of them, I think of the giants,” he says. Kira Westaway Graduated from Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. “Usually when you think of giants, you think of dinosaurs, but this was a primate giant.”

To establish a timeline of when this ape became extinct, Westaway and her colleagues studied hundreds of teeth and four jawbone fragments found in caves throughout southern China's Guangxi province. By observing the radioactive decay of certain elements, such as uranium, in teeth and bones, researchers can determine how much time has passed since death.

They also examined other deposits in the cave, such as pollen and sediment, to determine its condition. G. Blackie – Herbivores – lived there.

“We show that starting 2.3 million years ago, the environment was a mosaic of forests and grasses, providing ideal conditions for flourishing. G. Blackie population,” the researchers wrote. “However, just before and during the extinction period between 295,000 and 215,000 years ago, increased seasonality led to increased environmental variability, which led to changes in plant communities and an increase in open forest environments. the researchers added.

By studying the stripes on fossilized animals' teeth, researchers discovered signs of chronic stress caused by lack of access to their favorite foods. They say the creature's failure to adapt to a changing climate and accompanying fluctuations in food likely sealed its fate. In contrast, orangutans, of which three species survive, have adapted their dietary preferences and behavior in response to increasing climate change.

“eventually [G.blacki’s] “The struggle to adapt led to the extinction of the largest primate to ever live on Earth,” the researchers wrote. They also dispelled the idea that hominins may have competed with or hunted the species, precipitating its extinction. “There's no evidence for this,” Westaway says.

julian lewis Researchers at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia say they present a convincing case that environmental change, particularly increased habitat variability, has likely had negative effects on organisms. . G. Blackie.

However, he added that the fossils studied came from a very limited geographical area.resembles a fossil G. Blackie It is also found in Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

“One thing seems almost certain: Their actual geographic range would have been much larger than current fossils indicate,” Ruiz says. “We don't know how much this will affect the timing of global extinction of this species.”

anne marie bacon Researchers at France's National Center for Scientific Research say this study can help us understand. Mr. G. Blackie But studying China's fossils only reveals part of its history.

“Although this paper focuses on records from China, we do not know whether the geographic range of great apes extended into Indochina because there are few paleontological remains in Asia.” [mainland South-East Asia]we also looked at what the southern limit of this range was,” she says.