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Newly discovered primate in Myanmar ‘already facing extinction’

  • Posted By
    10Pointer
  • Categories
    Environment
  • Published
    12th Nov, 2020

Context

  • In a rare find, scientists have identified a new species of primate, a lithe tree-dweller living in the forests of central Myanmar with a mask-like face framed by a shock of unruly grey hair.

Key-highlights of the finings

  • The primate is named as
  • It is leaf-eating species of primate.
  • It is the lithe monkey with chalk-white rings around its eyes.
  • As only 200 to 250 left in the wild, it is said to be classified as “critically endangered”.

What are the threats?

  • It is threatened by hunting and habitat loss.

What is a primate?

  • A primate is a eutherian mammal constituting the taxonomic order Primates.
  • Primate is a group of mammals that includes the lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, monkeys, apes, and humans.
  • Primates are divided into two suborders.
    1. Strepsirrhines which includes lemurs and lorisids.
    2. The haplorhines, or "dry-nosed" primates, includes the tarsier, apes and langurs.

When an animal is said to be Critically Endangered?

  • species facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
  • Critically Endangered species is believed to have undergone a decline well exceeding 80% over the past three generation. 
  • The total population is estimated at less than 300 individuals across the range

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