Fortunately for early humans,the huge primate's diet consisted mainly of bamboo.   Scientists have known about Gigantopithecus since some of its teeth were discovered on sale in a Hong Kong pharmacy about 80 years ago.The idea of a giant ape aroused the interest of scientists around the world,but It remained unclear when this beast became extinct.     Now Jack Rink,a geochronologist at McMaster University in Canada,has used a high-precision  -dating method to determine that this ape-the largest primate ever--roamed Southeast Asia for nearly a million years before the species died out 100,000 years ago.By this time,humans had existed for a million years.     "Gigantopithecus is a primate that co-existed with humans at a time when humans were undergoing a major evolutionary change,"said Rink.       Some of Gigantopithecus fossils were found in Guangxi.It is the region where some believe the modem human race originated.according to Rink.Scientists have been able to piece together a description of Gigantopithecus using just a handful of teeth and a set of jawbones.     "The size of these specimens--the crown of the molar,for instance,measures about an inch (2.54 cm)across--helped us understand the extraordinary size of the primate,"Rink said.     Scientists can only guess at what killed off a beast this size.Some scientists believe that a diet of bamboo combined with increasing competition from more nimble humans eventually led to its extinction.     While most scientists agree that Gigantopithecus died out long ago,some people--Big-foot and Yeti enthusiasts in particular-believe that this ape is the source of tales of giant,hairy beasts living in the woods.     Even though mainstream scientists dismiss these claims,it isn't impossible.The coelacanth a type of fish thought to have died out millions of years ago-was discovered swimming off the coast of Africa in 193& We can gain some information about Gigantopithecus EXCEPT_.
their diet their appearances their habitats their language(s)