The smallest monkeys in the world were divided into two types
American anthropologists have determined that pygmy monkeys (the smallest monkeys in the world) belong to two different species, and not one, as previously thought. An adult weighs only 100 grams, according to the American Journal of Physical Anthropology.
Scientists have noted that monkeys have the same fur color. But after studying the structure of their skull and analyzing DNA, they found clear differences between the two groups.
The different shapes of the skulls indicate that the monkeys use different methods to obtain food.
“For example, they can gouge different types of trees with different types of bark. In addition, there may be other behavioral and ecological differences between species that have not been documented, ”said Leila Porter, lead author of the study.
Dwarf monkeys are found in the Amazon and South America. The authors of the study collected samples of biological material from 13 sites. They noted that monkeys also live in Ecuador and Peru and decided to classify the two separate species as “northwest” and “southerly”. Their scientific names are Cebuella pygmaea and Cebuella niveiventris.
Earlier it became known that a new species of monkeys was found in the zone of active felling of the Amazonian forests. Primates live in a limited area and are threatened with extinction due to human activities.
