An international team of scientists, including researchers from CIBIO-BIOPOLIS at the University of Porto, has identified two new howler monkey species in the Amazon. The discovery is the first of its kind in 84 years for this group of primates, which is at risk of extinction.
The newly identified species are the Mato Grosso red howler (Alouatta magrossensis) and the Pantepui red howler (Alouatta iroi). They are the first new howler monkey species described since the Purus red howler (Alouatta puruensis) was identified in 1940.
According to CIBIO, the populations face an imminent risk of extinction because of advancing deforestation across the Amazon. Howler monkeys are large, tree-dwelling primates known for producing some of the most powerful calls among terrestrial animals, with their roars carrying for kilometres through South American tropical forests.
The research addresses two gaps in scientific knowledge: the Linnaean gap, concerning the actual number of species, and the Wallacean gap, involving the precise understanding of their geographic distribution.
Luís Ceriaco, a researcher at CIBIO-BIOPOLIS, said the discovery showed that even iconic groups such as howler monkeys still include species unknown to science. He argued that more taxonomists, fieldwork and recognition of natural-history collections are needed.
Thiago Semedo, a doctoral student at the University of Porto’s Faculty of Sciences, also emphasised the importance of prioritising this type of research to protect biodiversity that remains hidden and confined within the deforestation frontier.
The study, led by scientists from the University of Salford, was published on 30 October in Communications Biology.
Sources: Observador.