New species of monkeys found on Earth

About 400 species of monkeys live on our planet. There are a lot of them and some types are still poorly studied by science. They are commonly found in the rainforests of America, Africa, and many Asian countries. Several species of monkeys also live in the forests of Myanmar, a state that closely borders India. Recently, representatives of new species of monkeys from the genus Trachypithecus were found there, which are better known in the Russian-language literature as langurs... The new species was named Trachypithecus popa, in honor of the extinct Pope volcano, in whose territory they live. But these monkeys are very few - scientists believe that there are only about 200 of them left in the world... So what is special about these creatures and why are they dying out?

Adult Trachypithecus popa with calf

Langurs - small monkeys from the monkey family. In India, they are specially kept on the territory of temples, because they are considered sacred animals. They feed on leaves, live in groups of 50-60 individuals and attack people only in case of danger.

The rarest monkeys

New species of monkeys were told by scientificjournal Zoological Research. At the moment, scientists have 20 species of langurs, but they do not know how their family ties are arranged. Researchers headed by Christian Roos decided to understand them. For the most part, langurs are very similar to each other and live both in India and in the forests of Myanmar. The researchers took fecal samples from captive and wild animals. It turned out that among the langurs there are individuals that are very different from everyone else. They have been recognized as a separate species called Trachypithecus popa.

The new monkeys are shown in images C and D.

These monkeys are not different from the rest of the langurs.only by genetic, but also by external signs. They have a long tail, dark spots around the eyes and fur on the crown. The presence of a long tail is not surprising, because the word "lungoor" is translated from the Hindi language as "long-tailed". Also one of the peculiarities of langurs is that their digestive system is almost the same as that of cows. That is, their stomach consists of three chambers, thanks to which they are able to digest unripe leaves.

Extinct Pope Volcano

Langurs are very picky about food, so theiralmost impossible to find in zoos. That is why much less is known about them than about gorillas, orangutans and other primates. Perhaps this is the first time you see them. In the wild, they live in groups, where there are noticeably four males, eight females and more than ten cubs. By themselves, these are peaceful animals, but if they are pissed off, they can attack.

See also: How do the smartest monkeys in the world communicate?

Extinction of monkeys

An unpleasant discovery for scientists was that monkeys Trachypithecus popa are already on the brink of extinction. On the territory of Myanmar, they managed to find only 199-259 individuals... That is, they are already among the mostrare primates in the world. Once upon a time, they lived throughout the dry forests of Myanmar, but now there are only four small groups of monkeys. Proceeding from all this, the authors of the scientific work call on the scientific community to assign these langurs the status "on the verge of complete extinction."

Another individual of Trachypithecus popa

Most likely, the extinction of langurs is associated withdeforestation. By destroying trees, humanity not only deprives them of their habitat, but also food. After all, do not forget that these monkeys feed on leaves. Most likely, conservationists will soon take measures to protect the langurs, but which ones are still unknown. Perhaps some of them will be placed in reserves with good conditions for breeding.

Myanmar lost 19% of its forest between 1990 and 2010

Langurs raise their young veryin an unusual way. The cub first of all falls into the hands of the mother, who carefully examines it. Then he falls into the arms of another female, who also studies him. Thus, on the first day of its life, the cub is examined by 7-8 females. It is believed that this is necessary for all females to acquire skills in handling children.

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It is worth recalling that Myanmar is a place whereBurmese amber is mined. This is the name of the petrified resin of trees, inside which the remains of ancient insects are often found. Relatively recently, an ant with terrible horns and powerful jaws was found inside such a resin. What he is so interested in scientists, you can read in this material.