The largest great ape to ever live went extinct because of climate change: study

This handout artist impression released by Southern Cross University on January 9, 2024, shows a group of the giant ape Gigantopithecus blacki within a forest scene in Southern China. New evidence uncovered by a team of Chinese, Australian and US researchers published in 'Nature', demonstrates beyond doubt that the largest primate to walk the earth went extinct between 295,000 and 215,000 years ago, as it was unable to adapt its food preferences and behaviours, vulnerable to the changing climate which sealed its fate. — Photo by Garcia/Joannes-Boyau (Southern Cross University) / Southern Cross University / AFP

An ancient species of great ape was likely driven to extinction hundreds of thousands of years ago when climate change put their favorite fruits out of reach during dry seasons, scientists reported Wednesday.

The species Gigantopithecus blacki, which once lived in southern China, represents the largest great ape known to scientists - standing 10 feet tall (3 meters) and weighing up to 650 pounds (295 kilograms).