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An ancient species of great ape likely disappeared hundreds of thousands of years ago when climate change put their favorite fruits out of reach during dry seasons, scientists recently reported.
科學家最近報告稱，一種古老的類人猿可能在數十萬年前消失了，因為當時的氣候變化使它們在旱季無法獲得最喜歡的水果。
The species is known as Gigantopithecus blacki.
該物種被稱為步氏巨猿。
It once lived in southern China.
該物種曾經生活在中國南方。
It stood 3 meters tall and weighed up to 295 kilograms.
該物種高3米，重達295公斤。
It represents the largest great ape known to scientists.
該物種是科學家已知的最大的類人猿。
"It's just a massive animal – just really, really big," said Renaud Joannes-Boyau.
雷諾·約翰內斯-博尤說：“這是一種巨大的動物，非常非常大。”
He is a researcher at Australia's Southern Cross University.
他是澳大利亞南十字星大學的一名研究員。
He helped write the study, which recently appeared in the publication Nature.
他幫助撰寫了這篇研究論文，該論文最近發表在《自然》雜志上。
But its size may also have been a weakness.
但該物種的體型也可能是一個弱點。
Joannes-Boyau said, "When food starts to be scarce, it's so big it can't climb trees to explore new food sources."
約翰內斯-博尤說：“當食物開始匱乏時，該物種體型太大了，以至于無法爬上樹去尋找新的食物來源。”
The huge apes likely looked similar to the modern orangutan.
這種巨大的類人猿看起來很像現代的紅毛猩猩。
It survived for around 2 million years in the forested land of China's Guangxi area.
該物種在中國廣西地區的林地里存活了大約200萬年。
They ate plants that included fruits and flowers --- until the environment began to change.
它們吃包括水果和花朵在內的植物，直到環境開始改變。
Starting about 600,000 years ago, Guangxi's forests began producing fewer fruits.
從大約60萬年前開始，廣西森林里的果實產量開始減少。
The area was experiencing more periods of dry weather.
該地區當時正經歷更多的干旱天氣。
Researchers examined pollen and sediment found in underground areas called caves to learn more about the changes and their effects.
研究人員檢查了在地下洞穴中發現的花粉和沉積物，以了解更多關于氣候變化及其影響的信息。
The giant apes did not disappear quickly, the researchers say.
研究人員表示，這種巨猿并沒有很快消失。
They likely went extinct sometime between 215,000 and 295,000 years ago.
它們可能在21.5萬年前到29.5萬年前的某個時候滅絕了。
As the climate changed, smaller apes may have been able to climb trees to search for different food.
隨著氣候的變化，體型較小的類人猿可能為了尋找不同的食物而能夠爬樹。
But the researchers found that the giant apes ate more food that provided less nutrients.
但研究人員發現，這種巨猿吃更多營養成分較少的食物。
That less nutritious food included tree bark and thin grasses called reeds.
營養價值較低的食物包括樹皮和被稱為蘆葦的細草。
"When the forest changed, there was not enough food preferred by the species," said Zhang Yingqi of China's Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology.
中國科學院古脊椎動物與古人類研究所的張穎奇說：“當森林發生變化時，該物種偏愛吃的食物就不夠了。”
He helped write the study.
他幫助撰寫了這篇研究論文。
Most of what scientists know about the extinct great apes comes from studying their remains, or fossils.
科學家對這種滅絕的類人猿的了解大多來自對它們的遺骸（即化石）的研究。
The fossilized bones they studied included teeth and four large lower jaw bones.
他們研究的骨骼化石包括牙齒和四塊大的下頜骨。
All of the fossils were found in southern China.
所有這些化石都是在中國南方發現的。
No complete skeletons have been found.
目前還沒有發現完整的骨骼。
Between around 2 million and 22 million years ago, many species of great apes lived in Africa, Europe, and Asia, fossil records show.
化石記錄顯示，在大約200萬到2200萬年前，許多種類的類人猿生活在非洲、歐洲和亞洲。
Today, only gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans and humans remain.
如今，只剩下大猩猩、黑猩猩、倭黑猩猩、紅毛猩猩和人類。
I'm Gregory Stachel.
格雷戈里·施塔赫爾為您播報。
譯文為可可英語翻譯，未經授權請勿轉載！
