Malaysia's Mystery Monkey

No monkeying around - a new study has revealed that a new, never-before-identified monkey has been spotted near the Kinabatangan River, in Sabah. The monkey is believed to be a rare hybrid between two different species, likely the offspring of a proboscis monkey and a silvery langur, which are two distantly related species that share the same habitat. As amazing as this discovery is, the researchers note that this hybrid is possibly a result of both species being so cramped together in the remaining narrow riparian forest patches surrounded by oil palm plantations, where they compete for food and mating opportunities. We discuss the implications of this new study with two of the study's co-authors, Dr. Nadine Ruppert, a Primatologist at Universiti Sains Malaysia and the Vice-President of the Malaysian Primatological Society, and Nicole Lee, from Marvelous Vacation, Sabah.

Image credit: Nicole Lee/International Journal of Primatology