The Pongidae great ape, the Orangutan, is located in an increasingly small pocket of SE Asia while the African varieties (gorilla, Chimp, Bonopos) exist in small narrow bands across central Africa. Looking at a map there is a vast distance between these two great ape locals. The immediate question that springs to mind is “how did they get from Africa to Asia”? Followed by “where are the intermediary species?”, and “What happened to the great ape in Asia?”
Complicating the issue is that very few great apes fossils have ever been found, and when they do appear, they serve to add layers of intrigue rather than make their history more clear.
Thus the one Great Ape represented in Asia in fossil form becomes a true missing link. GIANTOPITHECUS originated in Asia, perhaps as long ago as 6 million years and became extinct (?) only about 300,000 to 200,000 years ago. Researchers have located fossil teeth and some bone in regions in China, but because China has a long history of grinding up such “dragon bones” for making medicines, the available resources to study are rare.
Scientists will tell you, though, that this dating and extinction are all ironclad…..
Interesting to note, however, is that in many other fields of science , long held assumptions about correct dates are challenged by new finds. Sites of human occupation dated at 40,000, 50,000, and even 60,000 years are pushing back long held beliefs. Signs of occupation have been found in locations where science had said there was no human occupation that early (coast of Virginia, Mexico, Peru, etc.).
Is it possible that pockets of a large primate survived past that 200,000 year mark? Is it possible they fled away from encroaching humans into the fertile and high country (like Pandas)? Would some of these small pockets have crossed the land bridge into the North American continent? Could small clusters of them linger into the 20th century in the high mountains of Asia (Tibet, China, the Himalayas, and Russia) and in the thick jungles of Vietnam and Thailand?
Once again think of that map with great apes in Africa and SE Asia....and none in between? None...unless you take into account some of those tales of "monsters" and "beasts" in the lonely high places....
What if a new find of Giantopithecus is found that dates to 100,000? 50,000? It is a question to ponder as experts continue to debate the reality of a great ape existing in the American North West and in high, isolated regions in other parts of the world.Simply because it has not been found, or only a fossil of it has been found, does not negate the possibility of its existence. Remember the coelacanth.
FOR FURTHER READING:
http://www.uiowa.edu/~bioanth/giganto.html
The Ape That Was – Russell Ciochon
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/12/1208_051208_giant_ape_2.html
Early Human – Ape Interaction?
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/10/1023_031023_bigfoot.html
Forensic expert says Bigfoot real
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/03/0306_030306_orangutanfossil.html
Ape Fossill….
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/12/1220_021226_orangutan.html
Orangs show signs of culture
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