A new species of monkey, only a few hundred specimens strong, has been discovered in Burma, the teams of researchers behind this rare discovery announced on Wednesday, November 11.

The small primate, whose body measures between 50 and 60 centimeters, was named Popa langur by researchers from the German Primate Center (DPZ) and the environmental NGO Fauna and Flora International (FFI), who identified it after long research. 

It is a species of "langur" (Trachypithecus, its scientific name), a monkey endemic to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, named after Mount Popa, a sacred site built on an ancient volcano in central Burma.

This is where the most important group of the species, which is about a hundred individuals, has been located.

Three other groups of "Trachypithecus popa" have been identified, still in central Burma, for a total of between 200 and 250 individuals.

A new species ... already threatened with extinction

"Barely identified, the Popa langur is already threatened with extinction," warned Frank Momberg, one of the FFI researchers, quoted in a statement.

The specificity of this new species has been attested in particular by comparing the DNA taken from the droppings of different populations of Trachypithecus, wild or in captivity, and historical specimens kept in British, German, American and Singapore museums.

It is finally "the DNA analysis of a specimen collected for the Natural History Museum in London more than 100 years ago which allowed the description of this new species", which would have separated from other langurs there. is about a million years old, said Christian Roos, a DPZ researcher.

It differs in particular by its color, the length of its tail and the size of its skull, according to the researchers.

"Further field studies and urgent protective measures will be carried out by the FFI and others to save the langurs from extinction," said primatologist Ngwe Lwin, from the NGO's Myanmar project.

With AFP

The summary of the week

France 24 invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you!

Download the France 24 application

google-play-badge_FR