Gigantopithecus
Gigantopithecus (from the Ancient Greek ' "giant", and ' "ape") is an extinct genus of ape that existed from perhaps nine million years to as recently as one hundred thousand years ago, at the same period as "Homo erectus" would have been dispersed, in what is now India, Vietnam, China and Indonesia placing "Gigantopithecus" in the same time frame and geographical location as several hominin species. The primate fossil record suggests that the species "Gigantopithecus blacki" were the largest known primates that ever lived, standing up to and weighing as much as , although some argue that it is more likely that they were much smaller, at roughly in height and in weight.
Primate Sociality
Primate Sociality is characterized by its complexity and the diverse social behaviors exhibited by members of different species, including humans. Nearly all primates are social animals and live in organized social networks, which are believed to have originated as a means to better locate food sources. Most group orientated primates follow a maternal lineage likely due to the tendency for females to remain in clustered groups, while males roam more freely in search of potential mates. However, patterns of mating, grouping and interpersonal relationships are diverse among primate species. Research on species in the great apes family, namely gorillas, bonobos, orangutans, and chimpanzees are most well understood because of their strong genetic similarity to humans. It has been shown that great ape species exhibit diversity in social interactions. For instance, chimpanzees exhibit strong aggressive tendencies and male dominance, whereas bonobos engage in female power sharing and less aggression . Furthermore, the great ape species share similarities to complex behaviors to humans, such as conforming to social norms, social play, and self-recognition. Primate species outside of the great ape family have also been observed to exhibit complex social behaviors. For instance, squirrel monkeys have demonstrated social learning behaviors, whereas howler monkeys have been observed to participate in group coordination..This demonstrates that complexity of social behaviors is observed in many primates, not only to those in the great ape family.