Arunachal Macaque

Taxobox
name = Arunachal Macaque


status = EN
status_system = iucn3.1
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Mammalia
ordo = Primates
familia = Cercopithecidae
genus = "Macaca"
species = "M. munzala"
binomial = "Macaca munzala"
binomial_authority = Sinha "et al.", 2004

The Arunachal Macaque ("Macaca munzala"), a relatively large brown primate with a comparatively short tail, is a macaque native to Arunachal Pradesh in north-eastern India. Its species name comes from Munzala ("monkey of the deep forest") as it was called by the Dirang Monpa tribe. [Press release issued jointly by NCF, WCS, New York, International Snow Leopard Trust & NIAS, Bangalore [http://www.snowleopardnetwork.org/docs_news/macaque_press_release.pdf PDF] ] It was unknown to scientists until 2004, when a group of scientists from the Nature Conservation Foundation, India reported it. [cite journal | author = Sinha, A.,Datta, A., Madhusudan, M. D. and Mishra, C. | year = 2005 | title = "Macaca munzala": a new species from western Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India | journal = International Journal of Primatology | volume = 26 | issue = 977 | pages = 989 | doi = 10.1007/s10764-005-5333-3] It is the first species of macaque to have been discovered since 1903 when the Indonesian Pagai Island Macaque was discovered. This monkey was reported on the basis of good quality photograph as holotype.

The Arunchal Macaque is compactly built and has a very dark face. It lives at high altitudes, between 2000 m and 3500 m, making it one of the highest-dwelling primates. It belongs to the "sinica" species-group of macaques along with the Assamese Macaque ("M. assamensis"), the Tibetan Macaque ("M. thibetana"), the Bonnet Macaque ("M. radiata") and the Toque Macaque ("M. sinica").The Arunchal Macaque is apparently physically similar to the Assam Macaque ("M. assamensis") and the Tibetan Macaque ("M. thibetana"), while genetically closely related to the Bonnet Macaque ("M. radiata") of southern India. [cite journal | author = Chakraborty, D., Ramakrishnan, U., Panor, J., Mishra, C., Sinha, A. | title = Phylogenetic relationships and morphometric affinities of the Arunachal macaque Macaca munzala, a newly-described primate from Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India | journal = Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution | year = 2007 | doi = 10.1016/j.ympev.2007.04.007 | volume = 44 | pages = 838] This is probably the result of convergent evolution where organisms evolve similar physical features due to similar environmental selection pressure while genetically they may have different origins.

This monkey is severely persecuted in some parts of its known distribution by locals retaliating against crop raiding. Recent surveys suggest that this species may be highly endangered in some parts of Arunachal Pradesh.

References

External links

* [http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/~sbhatnag/Nature/warunachal/wapMiscMacaque.htm Arunachal Macaque information with photograph]