Earth’s largest ape went extinct 100,000 years earlier than once thought
Gigantopithecus blacki couldn’t adapt to the shift from forest to savanna-like habitats
![Artist reconstruction of Gigantopithecus blacki.](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/011024_CG_giant-ape_feat-1.jpg?fit=1030%2C580&ssl=1)
Gigantopithecus blacki, the largest ape known on Earth (shown in this artist’s rendition), died out between 295,000 and 215,000 years ago, researchers say.
J. Garcia, R. Joannes-Boyau/Southern Cross University