New Monkey Species Discovered In Myanmar
NEW MONKEY SPECIES – A new species of monkey was recently discovered by scientists in central Myanmar with the help of a tissue sample.
The said species was identified as Popa langur, which is named after the extinct volcano Mount Popa, according to a report from ABC News.
Conservation organization Fauna & Flora International reported that the area of Mount Popa houses the largest population of the species. Its binomial name is Trachypithecus popa.
Popa langur is characterized by a dark brown or gray-brown back, with a sharply contrasting gray or whitish abdomen and black hands and feet. This came from a new study published in the international scientific journal Zoological Research.
The primate was once widespread in the central dry zone of Myanmar. Only two population of primates were said to have survived, one in Mount Popa and the other in Bago Yoma.
However, recent fieldwork has led to the discovery of three new populations. Only about 200 to 250 living Popa langurs existed, according to scientists as they are said to be critically endangered.
DNA was collected by researchers in the wild via fecal samples. Tissue samples, with some believed to be a century old, were taken from the natural history museums in London, Leiden, New York and Singapore, among others, based on the report.
These were used for the genetic analysis of the species, implying that this was uncovered before.
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