Gigantopithecus blacki

Gigantopithecus was substantially larger than any living great ape, but because it is known almost entirely from teeth and lower jaws, body mass estimates vary considerably and are based on extrapolations from dental and jaw proportions. Estimates have ranged roughly from 200 to over 300 kilograms, depending on the assumptions about its build and proportions.

The vast majority of specimens come from cave deposits in southern China, with additional finds in parts of mainland Southeast Asia including Vietnam. Hundreds of isolated teeth and a few partial mandibles comprise the known fossil record, all dating to the Pleistocene epoch.

Dental wear patterns and the thick enamel of its large molars suggest a diet of tough, fibrous plant material, and some researchers have proposed bamboo as a significant food source. The heavy wear and occasional cavities observed in some teeth also indicate it may have consumed other plant foods including fruits.

Recent dating studies of cave sites in southern China suggest Gigantopithecus survived until roughly the middle Pleistocene, with some estimates placing its extinction around 250,000 to 300,000 years ago. This makes it one of the longest-surviving large ape lineages, persisting long after most of its relatives had disappeared.