Researchers have discovered a new species of orangutans on Indonesian island of Sumatra. There lives a group of about 800 apes isolated in Batang-Toru forest, south of Tobase in north of island. After years of research, international team of biologists, physicians and experts from or disciplines came to conclusion that this must be an independent species (Current Biology: Marques et al., 2017). It is now called Tapanuli-orang-utan (Pongo tapanuliensis), named after region in which it lives.

"You don't find a new kind of ape every day. This discovery is very exciting, "said Michael Krützen of University of Zurich, who was also involved in study. Pongo Tapanuliensis, however, is already considered most endangered type of large monkey because of its low stock.

The greatest threat is man. With poaching, illegal Rohdungen, road construction or wild animal trade, he has greatly reduced number. A dam planned in region will probably restrict habitat of animals even more. "If only eight of 800 animals were killed per year or orwise removed from population, species would die out," researchers wrote. Activists have been trying to fight for years, for example by placing orphaned young orangutans in reception stations and trying to poach m.

So far it was assumed that only Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), which also lives in Sumatra, and Borneo Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) exist on neighbouring island of Borneo. It was already known that some orangutans in Sumatra are genetically different from each or. It was only when researchers examined skull of a beast that had died years ago in fight, observed habitat of apes on a large scale and analyzed ir genome, that it was a separate species.

Time Online Pongo tapanuliensis – a direct descendant of first orangutans?

The scientists also looked at 37 orang-utan genomes and discovered that Tapanuli orangutans had separated from ir relatives in Borneo more than three million years ago. On or hand, Sumatra orangutans were separated from Borneo species less than 700,000 years ago. Since about 10,000 to 20,000 years, new species is to live completely isolated. They also seem to be a direct descendant of first orangutans that came to islands from Asian mainland, said researcher Alexander Naters from University of Zurich.

Red List Red List

The World Conservation Union IUCN carries Red List of endangered species. If sufficient data are available to estimate stock of an animal or plant species, a type is listed re. At regular intervals, situation will be re-evaluated and status adjusted.

The classification

These are IUCN hazard categories:

Ex extinct = after year 1500 AusgestorbenEW extinct in wild = in nature extinct regionally extinct = regional AusgestorbenCR Critically endangered = from extinction endangered = strong GefährdetVU vulnerable = GefährdetNT Near Threatened = potentially GefährdetLC Least Concern = Non GefährdetDD data deficient = insufficient basis not evaluated = not assessed

The genus belongs to closest relatives of human being, literally it is possible to translate orang-utan with Forest man. Their original distribution ranged from China to Thailand and Vietnam to Java. There have been no orangutans for many thousands of years.

Date Of Update: 03 November 2017, 12:03