The Popa langur ( Trachypithecus popa ) is a new species of primate found in Myanmar (Burma) and of which there are not many specimens left. It has been described in the journal Zoological Research where they state that after analyzing the mitochondrial DNA of the Asian colobine genus Trachypithecus, they discovered a new species, which is why they hope that conservation efforts will be revitalized for the approximately 200 to 250 remaining individuals that are distributed in four groups. isolated in Myanmar.
The Popa langur is named after the sacred Mount Popa, an extinct volcano and a sacred pilgrimage site that is home to around 100 langurs, making it the largest of the four populations. Across Myanmar, these langurs are at risk of habitat loss and hunting, hence they have been classified as critically endangered.
The telltale specimen of T. popa was found in 1913 by Guy C. Shortridge, a British zoologist who collected thousands of specimens in the early 1900s. The results of the genetic analysis were combined with data from specimens from other museums , as well as from field studies carried out by the German Primate Center (GMC) and Fauna & Flora International (FFI) together with partner organizations in Myanmar to confirm the existence of the new species.
“It was quite a complex picture to begin with because previous work focused on only a few species at a time. Having the opportunity to collaborate with such an excellent group of colleagues from around the world allowed us to integrate more information from more specimens and deliver one of the most comprehensive studies on this genus to date, “explains Roberto Portela Miguez, Senior Curator of Mammals at the Natural History Museum. “While there are subtle physical differences, such as coat color, tail length, molar size, and skull shape, genetic work was key in establishing that it was a new species”.
Referencia: Christian Roos, Kristofer M. Helgen, Roberto Portela Miguez, Naw May Lay Thant, Ngwe Lwin, Aung Ko Lin, Aung Lin, Khin Mar Yi, Paing Soe, Zin Mar Hein, Margaret Nyein Nyein Myint, Tanvir Ahmed, Dilip Chetry, Melina Urh, E. Grace Veatch, Neil Duncan, Pepijn Kamminga, Marcus A. H. Chua, Lu Yao, Christian Matauschek, Dirk Meyer, Zhi-Jin Liu, Ming Li, Tilo Nadler, Peng-Fei Fan, Le Khac Quyet, Michael Hofreiter, Dietmar Zinner, Frank Momberg. Mitogenomic phylogeny of the Asian colobine genus Trachypithecus with special focus on Trachypithecus phayrei (Blyth, 1847) and description of a new species. Zoological Research, 2020, 41(6): 656-669. doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.254
