The species Gigantopithecus blacki, which once lived in southern China, represents the largest great ape known to scientists - standing 10 feet tall and weighing up to 650 pounds.
The largest primate ever to walk the Earth went extinct because it could not adapt to its changing environment, with the mighty beast reduced to living off bark and twigs before dying off, scientists said on Wednesday.During this time, the seasons were becoming more pronounced, which was changing the local environment.
The largest ape on record stood nearly 10 feet tall. New research on cave fossils in southern China has shed light on the mysterious demise of Gigantopithecus.
King Kong may be able to fight off Godzilla, climb the Empire State building and swat helicopters out of the sky, but his real-life counterpart had more trouble with climate change, a study has found.