Gigantopithecus

extinct apes · ancient China · giant primates

Discovered by teeth. The first clues scientists had about Gigantopithecus came from just two giant molars found in a drugstore in England in 1935. A smart anthropologist named Ralph von Koenigswald realized these teeth belonged to an animal nobody had ever seen before.

Absolutely enormous. Gigantopithecus was one of the biggest apes that ever lived, weighing around 1,200 pounds or more. That makes it way heavier than any gorilla alive today.

Orangutan relative. Scientists thought Gigantopithecus might be related to humans, but DNA evidence showed it was actually much more closely related to orangutans. It belonged to the same subfamily as orangutans, just a giant version.

China's ancient resident. Gigantopithecus lived in central and southern China between 2 million and about 215,000 to 295,000 years ago. That means it walked the Earth during a time when many other giant animals roamed the planet.

Teeth and jawbones only. We've only found teeth and four jawbones from Gigantopithecus because porcupines probably ate the rest of the bones before they could turn into fossils. Scientists have discovered remains at more than 16 different sites across China.