Gigantic Apes Coexisted with Early Humans
Posted by: Craig Woolheater on November 7th, 2005
As posted on LiveScience today:
A geochronologist, Jack Rink, from an Ontario university has determined that Gigantopithecus blackii lived alongside early humans for over a million years. 10 feet tall, weighing up to 1200 pounds. This is typically larger than most reports of Bigfoot.
"A missing piece of the puzzle has always focused on pin-pointing when Gigantopithecus existed," Rink said. "This is a primate that co-existed with humans at a time when humans were undergoing a major evolutionary change. Guangxhi province in southern China, where some of the Gigantopithecus fossils were found, is the same region where some believe the modern human race originated."
It will be interesting to see where mainstream science shakes out on this issue. The article is quoted as saying that Gigantopithecus died out 100,000 years ago.
"While most scientists agree that Gigantopithecus died out long ago, some people – Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and Yeti enthusiasts in particular – believe that this ape is the source of tales of giant, hairy beasts roaming the woods."
Gigantopithecus is not the only candidate for Bigfoot that could still be living today. I know that Loren has what he believes are more likely candidates.
"Currently, scientists are debating over how Gigantopithecus got around – was it bipedal or did it use its arms to help it walk, like modern chimpanzees and orangutans? The only way to answer this is to collect more bones."
Maybe this study will lead to more study and discovery of Gigantopithecus remains.
Co-founder of Cryptomundo in 2005.
I have appeared in or contributed to the following TV programs, documentaries and films:
OLN's Mysterious Encounters: "Caddo Critter", Southern Fried Bigfoot, Travel Channel's Weird Travels: "Bigfoot", History Channel's MonsterQuest: "Swamp Stalker", The Wild Man of the Navidad, Destination America's Monsters and Mysteries in America: Texas Terror - Lake Worth Monster, Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot: Return to Boggy Creek and Beast of the Bayou.
I hope scientists keep looking into this possibility.. How much of this animal has actually been found? Partial skeletal remains, or less? Just curious.
Actually less than that, some teeth and a jawbone. Grover Krantz reconstructed a skull using these teeth and jawbone. You can purchase a copy from Bone Clones at: http://www.boneclones.com/BC-140.htm
Thats what I thought, any idea why those parts have survived while other parts of the skeleton has not? I find that fact alone, very interesting.
Thanks for the site, I will check it out.
Actually, I will correct myself here.
Jeff Glickman wrote in the NASI report of 1998, “Toward a Resolution of the Bigfoot Phenomenon”, available at http://www.rfthomas.clara.net/papers/nasi1.html
comes the following quote:
“Of the existing fossil record, Gigantopithecus is the only candidate fossil that approximates the size of the reported anecdotal observations. Gigantopithecus is known only by four mandibles and approximately one-thousand teeth — no post-cranial material has been found. Three of the four mandibles, known as Gigantopithecus blacki, are approximately 300,000 to 400,000 years and are from the Kwangsi Province of southern China. The fourth mandible, known as Gigantopithecus giganteus, is from the Siwalik Hills of Bilaspur, north of Delhi in India and is approximately 6.3 million years old. It is smaller than the three Chinese mandibles and is believed to be an older species of the same genus. The Gigantopithecus teeth were discovered in Liucheng, Kwangsi, Wuming, Bama, Daxin, and Jianshi of southern China. Because of the lack of post-cranial material, the posture and locomotion of Gigantopithecus is unknown.”
This was written in 1998, so there have possibly been additional discoveries since then.
Cool stuff.
Giganto, of course, is one of the all-time intriguing fossil candidates of hominology, especially for me, for the Yeti. So thanks for the update Craig.
It is amazing that Giganto existed for so long, and yet only these few surviving teeth and mandibles remain. Says something about the relatively rare nature of preserving the bones of these big ones, hummm?
I think Jeff Meldrum once said that the reason so very few fossil apes or monkeys of any kind are found is due to the habitat in which they lived: the conditions were very poor for fossil preservation. It’s notable that the few Giganto remains we do have were all found in caves, since caves represent unusual circumstances environmentally. The giant “cave” bears would probably be unknown were it not for the cave environments. Heck, if it weren’t for the Rancho La Brea site we wouldn’t have much in the way of sabre-tooth cats or American lions – an unusual circumstance in an otherwise poor environment for preservation.
Wow – thanks Craig and Sasquatchery 🙂 Anyone notice the recent news getting out about this animal? Yesterday was a big newsday for Mr. Giganto – 🙂
The story pops up today on ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=1334307
with the following:
A Possible Source of the Bigfoot Legend
Since the discovery of Gigantopithecus fossils, some observers have noticed that the primate resembles the giant ape-like humans of worldwide legend — Bigfoot, the “abominable snowman,” Sasquatch, or the yeti.
Is Gigantopithecus the source of these legends?
“I can’t disagree with that statement,” said Rink, who cautioned that the stories come from various regions and climate zones from around the world.
The primate’s territory would have been limited by his food source, Rink noted, and the species might not have ventured far from bamboo forests.
“It’s unlikely that Gigantopithecus would have adapted to a cold, snowy climate,” Rink said.