The Kipunji also known as the highland mangabey,is a species of old world monkey that lives in the highland forests of Tanzania, The Kipunji has a unique call,described as a 'honk-bark' which distinguishes it from its close relatives, the grey-cheeked mangabey and the black crested mangabey, whose calls are described as whoop-gobbles.Though it was originally thought to be a member of the Lophocebus genus genetic data later placed it as its own separate genus Rungwe cebus.The Kipunji is the first new monkey genus to be discovered since Allen's Swamp Monkey in 1923.The Kipunji was independently discovered by researchers from the Wildlife conservation society, the University of Georgia and Conservation International in December 2003 and July 2004,making it the first new African monkey species discovered since the sun-tailed monkey in 1984. Originally assigned to the genus Lophocebus, genetic and morphological tests showed that it is more closely related to the baboons (genus popio)than to the other mangabey in the genus Lophocebus, and that Lophocebus was diphyletic,meaning that species with differing genealogies have been mistakenly lumped together. Scientists have assigned it to a new genus,Rungwe cebus,named after Mount Rungwe where it is found. Approximately 1,100 of the animals lives in the highland Ndundulu Forest Reserve, a forest adjacent to Udzungwa Mountains National Park,which is adjacent to it.The forest at Rungwe is highly degraded,and fragmentation of the remaining forest threatens to split that population into three smaller population there is smaller.
The Kipunji also known as the highland mangabey,is a species of old world monkey that lives in the highland forests of Tanzania, The Kipunji has a unique call,described as a 'honk-bark' which distinguishes it from its close relatives, the grey-cheeked mangabey and the black crested mangabey, whose calls are described as whoop-gobbles.Though it was originally thought to be a member of the Lophocebus genus genetic data later placed it as its own separate genus Rungwe cebus.The Kipunji is the first new monkey genus to be discovered since Allen's Swamp Monkey in 1923.The Kipunji was independently discovered by researchers from the Wildlife conservation society, the University of Georgia and Conservation International in December 2003 and July 2004,making it the first new African monkey species discovered since the sun-tailed monkey in 1984. Originally assigned to the genus Lophocebus, genetic and morphological tests showed that it is more closely related to the baboons (genus popio)than to the other mangabey in the genus Lophocebus, and that Lophocebus was diphyletic,meaning that species with differing genealogies have been mistakenly lumped together. Scientists have assigned it to a new genus,Rungwe cebus,named after Mount Rungwe where it is found. Approximately 1,100 of the animals lives in the highland Ndundulu Forest Reserve, a forest adjacent to Udzungwa Mountains National Park,which is adjacent to it.The forest at Rungwe is highly degraded,and fragmentation of the remaining forest threatens to split that population into three smaller population there is smaller.
Post a Comment