idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
idw - Informationsdienst
Wissenschaft
100 year-old London museum sample gave decisive hints
A new primate species dubbed the Popa langur has been discovered in Myanmar after years of extensive study, including analysis of a 100-year old specimen kept in the London Natural History Museum. The Popa langur (Trachypithecus popa) is described in a new scientific paper released today that documents the extensive genetic and morphological studies and field surveys undertaken by the German Primate Center (DPZ) – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research in Göttingen and conservation NGO Fauna & Flora International.
The Popa langur only occurs in central Myanmar and is named after the sacred Mount Popa, which holds the largest population of the species with about 100 animals. Mount Popa is an extinct volcano, which features an important wildlife sanctuary, as well as a sacred pilgrimage site, home to Myanmar’s most venerated spirits, known as ‘Nats’. Altogether there are only 200 to 250 animals of the new species, which live in four isolated populations. Throughout its range the langur is threatened by habitat loss and hunting, and the new species can be considered critically endangered. “Just described, the Popa langur is already facing extinction,” says Frank Momberg at FFI.
Researchers of the DPZ and FFI in collaboration with partners from other non-government organizations, universities and natural history museums, investigated the evolutionary history and species diversity of langurs in Myanmar. Their study resulted in the description of the new langur species, the Popa langur.
The Popa langur differs from known species in fur coloration, tail length and skull measurements. Genetic studies revealed that the new langur species separated from known species around one million years ago. The DNA for genetic analyses was obtained from fecal samples collected by FFI staff in the wild, as well as from tissue samples of historical specimens from the natural history museums in London, Leiden, New York and Singapore.
Christian Roos, scientist in the Primate Genetics Laboratory at DPZ says, ”The DNA analysis of a museum specimen collected for the London Natural History Museum more than 100 years ago has finally led to the description of this new species, confirmed also by samples collected from the field by FFI’s research team.”
“Additional field surveys and protection measures are urgently required and will be conducted by FFI and others to save the langurs from extinction,” says Ngwe Lwin, a primatologist with FFI's Myanmar program.
PD Dr. Christian Roos (German Primate Center)
Phone: +49 (0) 551 3851 300
e-mail: croos@dpz.eu
Frank Momberg (FFI Director for Program Development, Asia – Pacific Region)
Phone: +49 (0) 171 1152871
e-mail: frank.momberg@fauna-flora.org
Ngwe Lwin (FFI Myanmar Program Director)
Phone: +959420080493
e-mail: ngwe.lwin@fauna-flora.org
http://www.zoores.ac.cn/en/article/doi/10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.254
http://medien.dpz.eu/pinaccess/showpin.do?pinCode=KHy21RieDFIK - Printable pictures
- Video
https://www.dpz.eu/en/home/single-view/news/neue-affenart-in-asien-entdeckt-den-... - Press release on DPZ website
Adult female and juvenile Popa langur (Trachypithecus popa) in the crater of Mount Popa, Myanmar.
Thaung Win
Thaung Win
PD Dr. Christian Roos, scientist in the Primate Genetics Laboratory with focus on Biodiversity and E ...
Karin Tilch
Deutsches Primatenzentrum GmbH
Merkmale dieser Pressemitteilung:
Journalisten, Studierende, Wissenschaftler
Biologie, Tier / Land / Forst, Umwelt / Ökologie
überregional
Forschungsergebnisse, Wissenschaftliche Publikationen
Englisch
Sie können Suchbegriffe mit und, oder und / oder nicht verknüpfen, z. B. Philo nicht logie.
Verknüpfungen können Sie mit Klammern voneinander trennen, z. B. (Philo nicht logie) oder (Psycho und logie).
Zusammenhängende Worte werden als Wortgruppe gesucht, wenn Sie sie in Anführungsstriche setzen, z. B. „Bundesrepublik Deutschland“.
Die Erweiterte Suche können Sie auch nutzen, ohne Suchbegriffe einzugeben. Sie orientiert sich dann an den Kriterien, die Sie ausgewählt haben (z. B. nach dem Land oder dem Sachgebiet).
Haben Sie in einer Kategorie kein Kriterium ausgewählt, wird die gesamte Kategorie durchsucht (z.B. alle Sachgebiete oder alle Länder).
