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An artist's impression of Gigantopithecus blacki, the giant ape from southern China. Illustration: Garcia/Joannes-Boyau (Southern Cross University) An ancient mega ape's massive size — clocking in at 10 feet tall and around 550 pounds — turned into an evolutionary disadvantage as it went extinct more than 200,000 years ago, according to new study published in Nature on Wednesday. Why it matters: The new research helps scientists resolve a longstanding mystery surrounding the legendary Gigantopithecus blacki's disappearance from what's now China. What's happening: Gigantopithecus blacki, the largest known primate to roam Earth, went extinct between 295,000 and 215,000 years ago because...

A Cheyenne couple says they spotted Bigfoot while on a train ride in Colorado over the weekend. The video, of course, has gone viral and the media has gone bonkers over it. A Cheyenne couple might be among those to finally answer the age-old question of whether Bigfoot exits. Shannon Parker told Cowboy State Daily that she, her husband and another passenger aboard a train they were riding in Colorado on Sunday saw what very well could have been a specimen of the legendary creature. “From our perspective, it seemed pretty legit,” she said of the apparently huge, bipedal creature...

A soon-to-be-released docu-series will present a rare and researched look at one of the most perplexing Biblical topics: Nephilim (giants). Produced by The Inspiration Networks, a faith-based family entertainment network, “Angels & Giants, The Watchers & Nephilim” presents four one-hour segments that are a serious investigation into the theories behind the Biblical giants. Rudy Landa, a senior producer and director at The Inspiration Networks and company CEO David Cerullo decided to make the film three years ago, their enthusiasm for the subject fueled by their love of the Bible. “The Bible describes the Nephilim in several places,” Landa said. “The...

From skinwalkers to La Llorona to the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine, we have our fair share of urban legends in Arizona. One of them is the Mogollon Monster: an ape-like creature that allegedly stalks the dense forest landscape of the Mogollon Rim. Have you ever heard the story? If not, you’re in for a spine-chilling read! During these uncertain times, please keep safety in mind and consider adding destinations to your bucket list to visit at a later date. Did you know Arizona has its very own Bigfoot? The creature is known as the "Mogollon Monster," and the tale promises...

Hamilton, ON - A gigantic ape, measuring about 10 feet tall and weighing up to 1,200 pounds, co-existed alongside humans, a geochronologist at McMaster University has discovered. Using a high-precision absolute-dating method (techniques involving electron spin resonance and uranium series), Jack Rink, associate professor of geography and earth sciences at McMaster, has determined that Gigantopithecus blackii, the largest primate that ever lived, roamed southeast Asia for nearly a million years before the species died out 100,000 years ago. This was known as the Pleistocene period, by which time humans had already existed for a million years. “A missing piece of...

A gigantic ape standing 10 feet tall and weighing up to 1,200 pounds lived alongside humans for over a million years, according to a new study. Fortunately for the early humans, the huge primate's diet consisted mainly of bamboo. Scientists have known about Gigantopithecus blackii since the accidental discovery of some of its teeth on sale in a Hong Kong pharmacy about 80 years ago. While the idea of a giant ape piqued the interest of scientists — and bigfoot hunters — around the world, it was unclear how long ago this beast went extinct. Precise dating Now Jack Rink,...

Evidence for the orangutan being the closest living relative of modern humans is based on at least 35 known characters that appear to be either exclusive to humans and orangutans or largely absent in outgroups.

New evidence underscores the theory of human origin that suggests humans most likely share a common ancestor with orangutans, according to research from the University of Pittsburgh and the Buffalo Museum of Science. Reporting in the June 18 edition of the Journal of Biogeography, the researchers reject as "problematic" the popular suggestion, based on DNA analysis, that humans are most closely related to chimpanzees, which they maintain is not supported by fossil evidence.

Researchers from James Cook University in Cairns, Australia, chose the bat poo in their quest to answer to a long-standing question: why is there some much biodiversity on the islands of Sumatra, Borneo and Java, when not so long ago (geologically speaking) they were all part of one vast continent? One theory has been that the former continent (Sundaland) was dissected by a savanna corridor. "That might explain why Sumatra and Borneo each have their own species of orang-utan, even though they were linked by land for millions of years," Dr Chris Wurster said. "The corridor would have divided the...

Scientists from the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment in Tübingen, and the Senckenberg Research Institute in Frankfurt, analyzed stable carbon isotopes from the tooth enamel of the little-known giant ape Gigantopithecus. "Unfortunately, there are very few fossil finds of Gigantopithecus -- only a few large teeth and bones from the lower mandible are known," Hervé Bocherens of the University of Tubingen said in a press release. Those fossils are from China and Thailand, which had open savannas and wooden landscapes. The new study of carbon isotopes indicates that Gigantopithecus was a vegetarian that lived only in forests. "Relatives...

'Mysterious Beasts' Spotted by Arizona Highway Cameras A suspicious pack of what appeared to be a group of large animals has sparked a viral debate about a possible sasquatch sighting in Arizona. The Arizona Department of Transportation was behind the latest announcement -- and conspiracy theories began to grow after they posted a photo from a highway patrol camera. It wasn't Big Foot enthusiasts reading too deeply into a suspicious photo; the government officials were the ones to suggest that something sinister -- and mysterious -- was going on. "We might have spotted a family of sasquatches on SR 260...

Bigfoot Living Among the Ruins of Detroit! DETROIT (Cryptozoology News) — A family claim they saw a strange ape-like creature Thursday afternoon coming out of the window of an abandoned house on the outskirts of the desolate city. C. Brown, his wife, and their two children said they were “driving around, looking to buy a new house”, when they allegedly witnessed the unidentified beast. “The economy has been devastating here man,” Brown explained. “One day, you are living in this beautiful city with over a million and a half working people, next day all you know is all is gone…crime...

Self-proclaimed professional Bigfoot hunter, Rick Dyer, has finally released the photos of the hairy monster he allegedly shot and killed last year. "Bigfoot is 100 percent real – there's no question about that," Dyer told KSAT.com. Dyer says he shot and killed the mythical monster in a wooded area of California near Loop 1604 and Highway 151 in September 2012.

'Yeti' Sightings On The Rise In Russia A group of yetis are on the loose in Sibera, fishermen and a forestry worker have claimed. There were three reported sightings in recent weeks. One person who reported spying the beast said “We shouted, ‘Do you need help?’ They rushed away, all in fur, walking on two legs, making their way through the bushes and with two other limbs, straight up the hill. The person who made the report added: “It could not be bears, as the bear walks on all fours, and they ran on two. Then they were gone.” On...

(CHICAGO ) - The Paiutes, a Native-American tribe indigenous to parts of Nevada, Utah and Arizona, told early white settlers about their ancestors' battles with a ferocious race of white, red-haired giants. According to the Paiutes, the giants were already living in the area. Roaming, man-eating giants The Paiutes named the giants Si-Te-Cah that literally means “tule-eaters.” The tule is a fibrous water plant the giants wove into rafts to escape the Paiutes continuous attacks. They used the rafts to navigate across what remained of Lake Lahontan. Giants roamed the Earth According to the Paiutes, the red-haired giants stood as...

Exclusive new videotape may show elusive Bigfoot creature Bigfoot hunters are eating their hearts out. Cryptozoologists are hoping this new video may be the evidence they've sought. Skeptics are already dismissing it as another man in a monkey suit. On a secret, secluded location in the north Texas woods, a video camera equipped with a night-vision lens captured something strange. A hunched-over figure moves among the trees. It travles fast, appearing to skirt the trunks and branches with ease, despite the pich-black of night. The figure traverses a ravine and then moves off-camera, with the crunching of branches and leaves...

A gigantic ape standing 10 feet tall and weighing up to 1,200 pounds lived alongside humans for over a million years, according to a new study. Fortunately for the early humans, the huge primate's diet consisted mainly of bamboo. Scientists have known about Gigantopithecus blackii since the accidental discovery of some of its teeth on sale in a Hong Kong pharmacy about 80 years ago. While the idea of a giant ape piqued the interest of scientists – and bigfoot hunters – around the world, it was unclear how long ago this beast went extinct. Precise dating Now Jack Rink,...

JEFFERSON, Texas - Next to a lifelike replica of a giant ape head, the believers milled around tables Saturday covered with casts of large footprints, books about nature's mysteries and T-shirts proclaiming "Bigfoot: Often Imitated, Never Invalidated." While they can have a sense of humor about it, the search for the legendary Sasquatch is no joke for many of the nearly 400 people who came here to discuss the latest sightings and tracking techniques at the Texas Bigfoot Conference. "It's not a matter of believing, like faith, when you believe in something you can't see," said Daryl G. Colyer, a...

Denver Post Camper says she was 12 feet from curious giant By Theo Stein Denver Post Environment Writer Sunday, January 05, 2003 - When Julie Davis burst from her tent in a remote part of the San Juan National Forest late on the afternoon of Aug. 5, 2000, the 54-year-old musician expected a confrontation with a hungry bear. What she got was the surprise of her life. "It was gigantic - it must have been 8 feet tall," said Davis, an experienced backcountry camper from rural Boulder County and a former volunteer with the Great Bear Foundation. "My first thought...