A new species of monkey with distinctive orange lips and a deep roaring call has been identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Colobus congoensis, known to local people as Likweli, is just the fifth new monkey species scientists have identified in Africa in the last 75 years, according to a study published in the journal PLOS ONE.
The monkey has a glossy black coat, long fur, a sweeping tail, and striking orange-cream facial markings, said researchers from Florida Atlantic University and the City University of New York Graduate Center in statements. They added that the species has distinctive cranial, dental, and skeletal characteristics that separate it from every other known African colobus monkey.
It is also smaller than related Colobus monkeys, weighing around 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms).
The university stated that it is distinguished by sleek, light-reflecting fur and dramatic facial features created by long black facial hairs and large folded ears.
The discovery of this primate is reshaping our understanding of African monkey evolution, according to Kate Detwiler, an associate professor of biological sciences at FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. She explained that its closest known relative is Colobus satanas, found more than 1,200 kilometers away in west-central Africa. Despite the distance, genetic evidence shows the two species diverged roughly 4 to 5 million years ago, marking one of the oldest known evolutionary splits within the Colobus lineage.
The process of describing the new species began in 2008, when an unusual monkey was photographed by researchers working in east-central Democratic Republic of Congo. Ten years later, they made a clearer observation, and went on to make 114 sightings from 2018 to 2022.
In addition to its anatomy and field observations, researchers also studied the monkey’s genetics and used local ecological knowledge to prove that this was a species that had never been described before.
Coauthor Christopher Gilbert, a professor of anthropology at the CUNY Graduate Center and Hunter College, noted that when a potential new species is discovered, the evidence has to be overwhelming. He said the team analyzed museum collections and comparative datasets, examining skulls, pelts, and skeletal anatomy alongside specimens from known African colobus monkeys, which allowed them to demonstrate conclusively that Colobus congoensis represents a distinct species.
However, there are some conservation concerns for Likweli, given the fact that the sightings were made across a range of around 1,700 square kilometers. A statement from CUNY noted that the researchers propose that Colobus congoensis be classified as Endangered because of its restricted range, habitat loss, and hunting pressure, adding that most of its known habitat lies within Lomami National Park, making protection of the region critical for the species’ survival.
Alexander Georgiev, a senior lecturer in primatology at Bangor University, Wales, who was not involved in the study, called the analysis very thorough and convincing. He noted that finding a new monkey species that is not only unknown to science but is also little known to the people that live where it occurs is very rare and exciting.
According to Georgiev, the authors of the study report that residents in only eight of a total of 52 villages that border the range of this new species were able to provide information about this primate and describe it. He explained that this explains why it has taken this long for the species to be documented for science, as the Congolese rainforest where this primate lives is vast and large parts of it are not well explored by scientists.
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