A new species of primate has been discovered in the rainforest of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
by Daniel Rosengren
A new species of primate has been discovered in the rainforests of
Likweli: A remarkable new species of Colobus monkey from the Lomami National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo | PLOS One
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0349857
FAU | New Species of African Monkey Discovered in the Congo Rainforest
https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/new-monkey-species-congo.php
An Entirely New Monkey Species Has Been Hiding in The Congo Rainforest : ScienceAlert
https://www.sciencealert.com/an-entirely-new-species-of-monkey-has-been-living-in-the-congo-rainforest-this-whole-time
In 2008, Bernard Ikembero and Ashley Vosper, conservationists with the Lukuru Wildlife Research Foundation based in the Democratic Republic of Congo, took the first photographic evidence of the monkeys, locally known as 'Likweli.' The area where the monkeys were photographed was designated as Lomami National Park in 2016, but for a long time, there were no further encounters with the monkeys.
Ten years after the initial encounter, in November 2018, Jean-Pierre Capallet of the Lecru Wildlife Research Foundation, who was patrolling in Lomami National Park, spotted what appeared to be Likewli again. Subsequently, Capallet's team reportedly spotted the monkey a total of seven times during 10 months of fieldwork, and data from sightings by other teams also accumulated.
Analysis of the collected anatomical, genetic, and acoustic data has now confirmed that this monkey is a new species. Named Colobus congoensis after the Democratic Republic of Congo, you can learn more about this monkey in the video below.
New Monkey Species Discovered in the Congo - YouTube
A Colobus congoensis is singing in a low voice from a tree.
Colobus congoensis is the fifth new monkey species discovered in Africa in the last 75 years. It inhabits the canopy of tropical rainforests and is slightly smaller than its close relatives, weighing about 7 kg.
It is covered in glossy black fur and is characterized by its creamy white lips with a defined border.
Additionally, the area around the eyes is light gray, and the cheekbones are high and prominent.
The hair on its face is long, and its ears have a fold in the middle.
When the calls of Colobus congoensis were compared to those of its close relative,
Below, the image on the left shows the newly discovered species Colobus congoensis, and the image on the right shows the closely related species Colobus satanas.
Genetic analysis revealed that Colobus congoensis and Colobus satanas diverged 4 to 5 million years ago and followed different evolutionary paths.
Colobus congoensis is believed to inhabit only an area of approximately 1700 km² between the Romami and Congo rivers.
Therefore, conservation efforts are crucial for maintaining the Colobus congoensis population.
Junior Amboko, a co-author of the paper and a doctoral student at Florida Atlantic University, said, 'We are honored to have named this species 'Colobus congoensis' in honor of the magnificent natural heritage of the Congo Basin. This is the first primate to be named after the Democratic Republic of Congo, highlighting both its global importance and the pride of the local people.'
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