There is a new primate in the forest canopy, Myanmar's popa langur (Trachypithecus popa), a beautiful grey monkey living near an extinct volcano of the same name. It was recently described for the first time,
[photo credit:T. Win] and is endangered with only 200 to 260 remaining in its native habitat. This langur is distinctive for its grey fur and bespectacled facial markings, making it a potential target of the illegal pet trade and hunters.
Identification of the new species began in the laboratory where genetic researchers studied tissue samples from museums and fecal samples from the wild. After several years of analysis, scientists declared it a new species in the journal
Zoological Research. Specimens of the monkey were collected over a hundred years ago, but no one thought to study them closely. There are twenty known species in the genus
Trachypithecus and
T. popa is closely related to
T. phayrei, but it is morphologically different.
The largest population lives in Mount Popa National Park in central Myanmar, but the protect forest is small, just 10 square miles and is completely surrounded by human agriculture, so it may not be large enough to support a growing population of langurs. A smaller population lives in Panlaung-Pyadalin Cave wildlife sanctuary, but it overlaps onto an adjacent limestone concession. For these reasons and the fact that it qualifies for listing as critically endangered under IUCN rules, the langur requires immediate conservation attention. Fauna and Flora International, a conservation group, said it would help with efforts to educate locals about the new primate and conduct more research. Myanmar has the largest extent of undeveloped forest remaining in Southeast Asia, so more discoveries probably await researchers there.
