Science buzzes: (Science) New Monkey Discovered in Amazon Rain Forest

New Monkey Saddleback Tamarin Reuters reports that a new monkey has been discovered in the Brazilian Amazon. The monkey was discovered in a remote part of the Amazon rain forest. It is related to saddleback tamarin monkeys.

The newly found monkey was first spotted by scientists in 2007 in the Brazilian state of Amazonas and is related to the saddleback tamarin monkeys, known for their distinctively marked backs, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) said.

The small monkey, which is mostly gray and brown and weighs 213 grams (0.47 pound), has been named the Mura's saddleback tamarin after the Mura Indian tribe of the Purus and Madeira river basins where the new sub-species was found. It is 240 millimeters (9.4 inches) tall with a 320 millimeter (12.6 inch) tail.

"This newly described monkey shows that even today there are major wildlife discoveries to be made," Fabio Rohe, the lead author of a study confirming the new discovery, said in a statement released by the WCS.

The newly discovered monkey is yet another reason why the Amazon rain forest needs to be protected. The BBC has some photos here of saddleback tamarin monkeys, the monkey species the newly discovered monkey is said to be related to.

Photo: A handout illustration from the Wildlife Conservation Society

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