Scientists discover two adorable species of howler monkey in the Amazon — and they're already endangered
A genetic analysis has identified two previously unrecognized species of howler monkey that change these primates' evolutionary tree.
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Scientists have identified two newfound species of howler monkey in the Amazon rainforest. The discoveries could redraw branches of these primates' evolutionary tree, a new study shows.
The new species were named Alouatta iroi and Alouatta matogrossensis. The adorable creatures have bushy beards, winsome expressions and bright red fur. Their identification raises the number of known howler monkey species to 16, researchers said in a statement.
"Our study shows that the Amazon still holds remarkable biological secrets, even among well-known animals such as howler monkeys," study first author Romina Batista, a biodiversity scientist at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and the University of Salford in the U.K., said in the statement.
One of the newfound species, A. matogrossensis, is probably on the brink of extinction. The other newfound species faces threats from a planned dam on the Rio Branco River, according to the study.
Taken from Live Science's own summary of the story.
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