Primum Sapienti
2024-01-22 03:45:45 UTC
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06900-0.pdf
10 January 2024
Abstract
The largest ever primate and one of the largest of
the southeast Asian megafauna, Gigantopithecus
blacki1, persisted in China from about 2.0 million
years until the late middle Pleistocene when it
became extinct2,3,4. Its demise is enigmatic
considering that it was one of the few Asian great
apes to go extinct in the last 2.6 million years,
whereas others, including orangutan, survived
until the present5. The cause of the disappearance
of G. blacki remains unresolved but could shed
light on primate resilience and the fate of
megafauna in this region6. Here we applied three
multidisciplinary analyses—timing, past
environments and behaviour—to 22 caves in southern
China. We used 157 radiometric ages from six dating
techniques to establish a timeline for the demise
of G. blacki. We show that from 2.3 million years
ago the environment was a mosaic of forests and
grasses, providing ideal conditions for thriving
G. blacki populations. However, just before and
during the extinction window between 295,000 and
215,000 years ago there was enhanced environmental
variability from increased seasonality, which
caused changes in plant communities and an increase
in open forest environments. Although its close
relative Pongo weidenreichi managed to adapt its
dietary preferences and behaviour to this
variability, G. blacki showed signs of chronic
stress and dwindling populations. Ultimately its
struggle to adapt led to the extinction of the
greatest primate to ever inhabit the Earth.
10 January 2024
Abstract
The largest ever primate and one of the largest of
the southeast Asian megafauna, Gigantopithecus
blacki1, persisted in China from about 2.0 million
years until the late middle Pleistocene when it
became extinct2,3,4. Its demise is enigmatic
considering that it was one of the few Asian great
apes to go extinct in the last 2.6 million years,
whereas others, including orangutan, survived
until the present5. The cause of the disappearance
of G. blacki remains unresolved but could shed
light on primate resilience and the fate of
megafauna in this region6. Here we applied three
multidisciplinary analyses—timing, past
environments and behaviour—to 22 caves in southern
China. We used 157 radiometric ages from six dating
techniques to establish a timeline for the demise
of G. blacki. We show that from 2.3 million years
ago the environment was a mosaic of forests and
grasses, providing ideal conditions for thriving
G. blacki populations. However, just before and
during the extinction window between 295,000 and
215,000 years ago there was enhanced environmental
variability from increased seasonality, which
caused changes in plant communities and an increase
in open forest environments. Although its close
relative Pongo weidenreichi managed to adapt its
dietary preferences and behaviour to this
variability, G. blacki showed signs of chronic
stress and dwindling populations. Ultimately its
struggle to adapt led to the extinction of the
greatest primate to ever inhabit the Earth.