Chinese scientists suggests Gigantopithecus lived in 'closed forest habitat'

The extinct giant ape, Gigantopithecus blacki, is a species of large hominoids that dominated the Pleistocene of South China. Its massive mandible, large postcanine teeth and extremely thick enamel always spark people's curiosity about what a diet for this giant ape was. The precise diet and habitat of Gigantopithecus remains unknown so far.

By analyzing carbon isotopes of 32 tooth samples, scientists in China discovered Gigantopithecus most likely lived in closed forest habitats and only ate plants that grew in warm weather.

Read below from news.in.msn.com:

The mandibles of Gigantopithecus blacki from
Juyuandong Cave of Liucheng, Guangxi Province, China.

Washington, Nov 11 (PTI) The massive mandible, large teeth and extremely thick enamel of Gigantopithecus blacki - an extinct giant ape that dominated the Pleistocene of South China - have always sparked people''s curiosity about its diet.

The precise diet and habitat of Gigantopithecus remained unknown so far. But, scientists now say that the extinct giant apes lived in closed forest habitats and only ate plants that grew in warm weather.

In its research, a team, led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, prepared and analysed a total of 32 tooth samples.
It found that this giant ape and other large mammals solely fed on C3 biomass and lived in forest habitats.

The scientists say that Gigantopithecus and the affiliated mega fauna all derived their carbon from solely C3 biomass sources, the ''Chinese Science Bulletin'' journal reported.

They suggested that Gigantopithecus should live in closed forest habitat and not an open habitat, which is consistent with the associated faunal and floral analyses.

"Analysis of stable carbon isotopes is a powerful method for exploring the diet and habitat use of extinct herbivorous mammals, and it has been used in paleoanthropology in analysis on early hominins fossils.

"This method is based on the fact that the carbon isotope composition is significantly different between plants that use different photosynthetic pathways and stable carbon isotope composition of enamel is dependent on the diet components throughout the food chain," team leader Zhao LingXia said.

[via news.in.msn.com via www.physorg.com]