Gigantopithecus was a massive gorilla-like creature that stood 10 feet tall and weighed upwards of 1,100 pounds making it the largest primate that ever lived. It thrived in the tropical forests of Southern China during the Pleistocene Epoch between 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago.
Fossilized teeth from Gigantopithecus were first discovered by a Dutch paleontologist named GHR Koenigswald. Referred to as “dragon’s teeth,” these specimens were sold in Chinese apothecaries for their purported medicinal benefits.
According to reports, the size of the teeth led some early scientists to suggest they belonged to human ancestors who may have been giants: “The teeth, though large, have a few similarities to human teeth, and this led some paleomorphologists to speculate that humans might have had “giant” ancestors. Later discoveries of complete mandibles demonstrated that they were from extinct apes.”
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