Gigantopithecus blacki
Quick Summary
Gigantopithecus blacki was an extinct ape species that lived in southern China during the Pleistocene Epoch, from about 2 million to 300,000 years ago. This genus is considered closely related to modern orangutans.12
Fossils, primarily large teeth and partial jaws, were first discovered in Chinese drugstores, where they were known as "dragon's teeth". Gigantopithecus is estimated to have stood about 3 meters (9.8 feet) tall and weighed between 200-300 kg (441-661 pounds), making it the largest known hominid. It likely inhabited forested areas and subsisted on leaves and plants, possessing powerful teeth for grinding. The species may have gone extinct due to cooler temperatures reducing its forest food sources.1
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