|
|
|
New monkey species found in Brazil claims scientist mongabay.com May 19, 2006 A Brazilian scientist claims to have discovered a previously unknown species of monkey, although other experts say the species may have been documented before. The species was found in Brazil's Atlantic rain forest in the state of Pernambuco. The Atlantic forest which once covered much of Brazil's eastern seaboard has been reduced by more than 90 percent due to agriculture and urbanization. It is considered one of Brazil's most threatened ecosystems. Pontes said that he had identified about 32 individuals in an 500-acre fragment of forest and swampland. Due to the extremely limited range of the species, Pontes urges conservation action for its habitat. "The discovery of this new critically-endangered (overlooked for centuries) species of capuchin within this zone of endemicity... where 23 species of endemic birds have already been described, as well as one species of reptile, four species of butterflies, two species of gastropods, at least four species of amphibians, and at least 11 species of trees... highlights the overwhelming importance and uniqueness of this highly-threatened area for the conservation of the earth's biota," writes Pontes and his co-authors. "It also points to the great lack of information on its mammalian fauna, and the urgent need for surveys in order to understand their distribution and status throughout the region."
While Pontes believes the species is new to science, others disagree. Mario de Vivo, a primatologist at the University of Sao Paulo, said that the "new" monkey looks a lot like Simia flavia, a monkey described by German taxonomist Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber in the 18th Century but never seen since, according to a report from the Associated Press. Related New monkey is most unique since swamp monkey in 1923 A new monkey species discovered last year by scientists with the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and other groups is now shown to be so unique, it requires a new genus â€" the first one for monkeys in 83 years, according to a study published in this week's Science. But conservationists warn that quick action is needed to protect the monkey's high-altitude forest home from illegal logging and hunting, or the species may soon vanish. This article uses information from an Associated Press article and the Zootaxa paper: A new species of capuchin monkey, genus Cebus Erxleben (Cebidae, Primates): found at the very brink of extinction in the Pernambuco Endemism Centre. News index | RSS | News Feed Advertisements: Organic Apparel from Patagonia | Insect-repelling clothing |
MONGABAY.COM
T-SHIRTS 
CALENDARS 
CANVAS BAGS 
|
|
|
