How The Possible Cousin of Bigfoot Became Extinct

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 compelled scientists to investigate what their precise diet and habitat were like.

Within the Bigfoot community, the general consensus of where Bigfoot came from is based on the "Bigfoot-Giganto Theory (hypothesis)". The Bigfoot-Giganto hypothesis suggests that Bigfoots are surviving relatives of the genus Gigantopithecus.

Recently, scientists have been able to analyze the carbon isotopes of 32 fossilized tooth samples from a Gigantopithecus jaw and discovered that Gigantopithecus most likely lived in closed forest habitats and only ate plants that grew in warm weather. The teeth of Gigantopithecus also provided clues to why the ape disappeared.

In a blog post from blogs.smithsonianmag.com, the Gigantopithecus population started dwindling about 1.6 million to 800,000 years ago. This is around the same time that the rising of the Tibetan plateau altered the climate of South Asia, ushering in a colder, drier period that led to the shrinking of forests.

Further evidence of Gigantopithecus‘ food preferences and habitat was published last November. Zhao LingXia of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and colleagues analyzed carbon isotopes in a sample of Gigantopithecus teeth. Plants have different forms of carbon based on their type of photosynthesis; this carbon footprint is then recorded in the teeth of animals that eat plants. The team determined Gigantopithecus—and the animals living alongside it, such as deer, horses and bears—ate only C3 plants, evidence the ape lived in a forested environment. This work also supports the proposed bamboo diet, as bamboo is a C3 plant.

So what happened to this Pleistocene Yeti? Zhang’s team suggested the rise of the Tibetan plateau 1.6 million to 800,000 years ago altered the climate of South Asia, ushering in a colder, drier period when forests shrank. Other factors could have exacerbated this crisis. Gigantopithecus‘s neighbor, Homo erectus, may have over-hunted and/or outcompeted their larger ape cousin. And at least one dental study indicates Gigantopithecus developed and matured very slowly—a sign they probably had low reproductive rates, which can elevate a species’ risk of going extinct.

Some Bigfoot hunters say Gigantopithecus is alive and well, hiding out in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Other Sasquatch enthusiasts, however, point out this is unlikely, as Bigfoot is reported to be a swift, agile, upright walker—not a lumbering, 1,200-pound quadruped.