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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.
科学家最近报告称，一种古老的类人猿可能在数十万年前消失了，因为当时的气候变化使它们在旱季无法获得最喜欢的水果。
The species is known as Gigantopithecus blacki.
该物种被称为步氏巨猿。
It once lived in southern China.
该物种曾经生活在中国南方。
It stood 3 meters tall and weighed up to 295 kilograms.
该物种高3米，重达295公斤。
It represents the largest great ape known to scientists.
该物种是科学家已知的最大的类人猿。
"It's just a massive animal – just really, really big," said Renaud Joannes-Boyau.
雷诺·约翰内斯-博尤说：“这是一种巨大的动物，非常非常大。”
He is a researcher at Australia's Southern Cross University.
他是澳大利亚南十字星大学的一名研究员。
He helped write the study, which recently appeared in the publication Nature.
他帮助撰写了这篇研究论文，该论文最近发表在《自然》杂志上。
But its size may also have been a weakness.
但该物种的体型也可能是一个弱点。
Joannes-Boyau said, "When food starts to be scarce, it's so big it can't climb trees to explore new food sources."
约翰内斯-博尤说：“当食物开始匮乏时，该物种体型太大了，以至于无法爬上树去寻找新的食物来源。”
The huge apes likely looked similar to the modern orangutan.
这种巨大的类人猿看起来很像现代的红毛猩猩。
It survived for around 2 million years in the forested land of China's Guangxi area.
该物种在中国广西地区的林地里存活了大约200万年。
They ate plants that included fruits and flowers --- until the environment began to change.
它们吃包括水果和花朵在内的植物，直到环境开始改变。
Starting about 600,000 years ago, Guangxi's forests began producing fewer fruits.
从大约60万年前开始，广西森林里的果实产量开始减少。
The area was experiencing more periods of dry weather.
该地区当时正经历更多的干旱天气。
Researchers examined pollen and sediment found in underground areas called caves to learn more about the changes and their effects.
研究人员检查了在地下洞穴中发现的花粉和沉积物，以了解更多关于气候变化及其影响的信息。
The giant apes did not disappear quickly, the researchers say.
研究人员表示，这种巨猿并没有很快消失。
They likely went extinct sometime between 215,000 and 295,000 years ago.
它们可能在21.5万年前到29.5万年前的某个时候灭绝了。
As the climate changed, smaller apes may have been able to climb trees to search for different food.
随着气候的变化，体型较小的类人猿可能为了寻找不同的食物而能够爬树。
But the researchers found that the giant apes ate more food that provided less nutrients.
但研究人员发现，这种巨猿吃更多营养成分较少的食物。
That less nutritious food included tree bark and thin grasses called reeds.
营养价值较低的食物包括树皮和被称为芦苇的细草。
"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.
中国科学院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所的张颖奇说：“当森林发生变化时，该物种偏爱吃的食物就不够了。”
He helped write the study.
他帮助撰写了这篇研究论文。
Most of what scientists know about the extinct great apes comes from studying their remains, or fossils.
科学家对这种灭绝的类人猿的了解大多来自对它们的遗骸（即化石）的研究。
The fossilized bones they studied included teeth and four large lower jaw bones.
他们研究的骨骼化石包括牙齿和四块大的下颌骨。
All of the fossils were found in southern China.
所有这些化石都是在中国南方发现的。
No complete skeletons have been found.
目前还没有发现完整的骨骼。
Between around 2 million and 22 million years ago, many species of great apes lived in Africa, Europe, and Asia, fossil records show.
化石记录显示，在大约200万到2200万年前，许多种类的类人猿生活在非洲、欧洲和亚洲。
Today, only gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans and humans remain.
如今，只剩下大猩猩、黑猩猩、倭黑猩猩、红毛猩猩和人类。
I'm Gregory Stachel.
格雷戈里·施塔赫尔为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
