Scientists Unravel the Mystery of the Disappearance of the Prehistoric King Kong

Scientists have made new attempts to uncover the mystery of the disappearance of the great primate Gigantopithecus blacki. It was the largest primate to ever inhabit our planet, and its mysterious disappearance some 215,000 years ago remained a mystery due to the lack of information about this ancient creature.

Millions of years ago, this giant 10-foot monkey roamed what is now China. However, as scientists note, something happened about 600,000 years ago that led to the extinction of this ancient primate.

We know very little about what Gigantopithecus looked like. So far, no complete skeleton has been found, and information about it is based mainly on a few fossilized teeth and fragments of jawbones.

To uncover the mystery behind the disappearance of Gigantopithecus blacki, a team of scientists, including Associate Professor Keir Westaway from Macquarie University, traveled to Guangxi Province in China. Scientists studied 22 caves and collected samples of pollen, fossils and sediments.

Analysis of these samples allowed scientists to recreate a picture of the ecology of the region. It turned out that about 2.3 million years ago the region was covered with dense forests and was an ideal habitat for Gigantopithecus.

However, about 600,000 years ago the climate changed dramatically, seasonal droughts began and fruit became increasingly scarce. Scientists believe that this was fatal for Gigantopithecus blacki, as it was unable to adapt to the new conditions.

Due to their gigantic size, Gigantopithecus was unable to adapt and move quickly, which led to a decline in their numbers. Unfortunately, approximately 215,000 years ago, these prehistoric giants completely disappeared.