Kipunji
Encyclopedia
The kipunji is a species
of Old World monkey
that lives in the highland forests of Tanzania
. It is the only member
of its genus
. Also known as the highland mangabey, it is about three feet long and has long brown fur, which stands in tufts on the sides and top of its head. Its face and eyelids are uniformly black. The kipunji is arboreal in its habits. All the males of this mangabey species emit a loud call to coordinate spacing between different groups. The kipunji has a unique call, described as a 'honk-bark', which distinguishes it from its close relatives the grey-cheeked mangabey
and the black crested mangabey
, whose calls are described as 'whoop-gobbles'.
Approximately 1,100 of the animals live in the highland Ndundulu Forest Reserve, an unprotected forest adjacent to Udzungwa Mountains National Park
, and in a disjunct population 250 miles away on Mount Rungwe
and in Kitulo National Park
, which is adjacent to it. The forest at Rungwe is highly degraded, and fragmentation of the remaining forest threatens to split that population into three smaller populations. The Ndundulu forest is in better shape, but the population there is smaller. The monkey is classified as a critically endangered species
by the IUCN. Recently, a Wildlife Conservation Society
team found that the monkey’s range is restricted to just 6.82 square miles (17.69 square kilometers) of forest in the two isolated regions. It is considered one of "The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates
."
The kipunji was independently discovered by researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the University of Georgia
and Conservation International
, in December 2003 and July 2004, making it the first new Africa
n monkey species discovered since the sun-tailed monkey
in 1984. Originally assigned to the genus Lophocebus, genetic and morphological tests showed that it is more closely related to the baboon
s (genus Papio) than to the other mangabeys in the genus Lophocebus, and that Lophocebus was diphyletic, meaning that species with differing genealogies have been mistakenly lumped together. Scientists have assigned it to a new genus, Rungwecebus, named after Mount Rungwe, where it is found.
Rungwecebus was the first new monkey genus to be discovered since Allen's Swamp Monkey
in 1923.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of Old World monkey
Old World monkey
The Old World monkeys or Cercopithecidae are a group of primates, falling in the superfamily Cercopithecoidea in the clade Catarrhini. The Old World monkeys are native to Africa and Asia today, inhabiting a range of environments from tropical rain forest to savanna, shrubland and mountainous...
that lives in the highland forests of Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
. It is the only member
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
of its genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
. Also known as the highland mangabey, it is about three feet long and has long brown fur, which stands in tufts on the sides and top of its head. Its face and eyelids are uniformly black. The kipunji is arboreal in its habits. All the males of this mangabey species emit a loud call to coordinate spacing between different groups. The kipunji has a unique call, described as a 'honk-bark', which distinguishes it from its close relatives the grey-cheeked mangabey
Grey-cheeked Mangabey
The grey-cheeked mangabey is an Old World monkey found in the forests of Central Africa. It ranges from Cameroon down to Gabon. The grey-cheeked mangabey is a dark monkey, looking in shape overall like a small, hairy baboon. Its thick brown fur is almost black in its forest home, with a slightly...
and the black crested mangabey
Black Crested Mangabey
The Black crested mangabey is a species of primate in the Cercopithecidae family. It is found in Angola and Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is threatened by habitat loss....
, whose calls are described as 'whoop-gobbles'.
Approximately 1,100 of the animals live in the highland Ndundulu Forest Reserve, an unprotected forest adjacent to Udzungwa Mountains National Park
Udzungwa Mountains National Park
Udzungwa Mountains National Park is a national park in Tanzania. The habitats contained within the national park include tropical rainforest, mountain forest, miombo woodland, grassland and steppe. There is a vertical height range of 250–2,576 metres , which incorporates the Udzunga Mountains part...
, and in a disjunct population 250 miles away on Mount Rungwe
Mount Rungwe
Mount Rungwe is a potentially active volcano in the Mbeya region of the southern highlands of Tanzania. At an altitude of , it is southern Tanzania's second highest peak. Rungwe stands at the junction of the eastern and western arms of the Great Rift Valley of Africa. It dominates the mountainous...
and in Kitulo National Park
Kitulo National Park
Kitulo National Park is a protected area of alpine grassland and montane forest in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. The Park covers an area of , lying partly in Mbeya Region and partly in Iringa Region. The protected area includes the Kitulo Plateau and the adjoining Livingstone Forest...
, which is adjacent to it. The forest at Rungwe is highly degraded, and fragmentation of the remaining forest threatens to split that population into three smaller populations. The Ndundulu forest is in better shape, but the population there is smaller. The monkey is classified as a critically endangered species
Conservation status
The conservation status of a group of organisms indicates whether the group is still extant and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future...
by the IUCN. Recently, a Wildlife Conservation Society
Wildlife Conservation Society
The Wildlife Conservation Society based at the Bronx Zoo was founded in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society and currently manages some of wild places around the world, with over 500 field conservation projects in 60 countries, and 200 scientists on staff...
team found that the monkey’s range is restricted to just 6.82 square miles (17.69 square kilometers) of forest in the two isolated regions. It is considered one of "The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates
The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates
The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates is a list of highly endangered primate species selected and published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission Primate Specialist Group , the International Primatological Society , and Conservation International...
."
The kipunji was independently discovered by researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
and Conservation International
Conservation International
Conservation International is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, which seeks to ensure the health of humanity by protecting Earth's ecosystems and biodiversity. CI’s work focuses on six key initiatives that affect human well-being: climate, food security, freshwater...
, in December 2003 and July 2004, making it the first new Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n monkey species discovered since the sun-tailed monkey
Sun-tailed Monkey
The sun-tailed monkey , also known as the sun-tailed guenon, is a primate that lives semi-terrestrially in one hilly area of moist evergreen forest in Gabon....
in 1984. Originally assigned to the genus Lophocebus, genetic and morphological tests showed that it is more closely related to the baboon
Baboon
Baboons are African and Arabian Old World monkeys belonging to the genus Papio, part of the subfamily Cercopithecinae. There are five species, which are some of the largest non-hominoid members of the primate order; only the mandrill and the drill are larger...
s (genus Papio) than to the other mangabeys in the genus Lophocebus, and that Lophocebus was diphyletic, meaning that species with differing genealogies have been mistakenly lumped together. Scientists have assigned it to a new genus, Rungwecebus, named after Mount Rungwe, where it is found.
Rungwecebus was the first new monkey genus to be discovered since Allen's Swamp Monkey
Allen's Swamp Monkey
Allen's swamp monkey is a primate species that is categorized in its own genus Allenopithecus in the Old World monkey family...
in 1923.
External links
- WCS profile of Highland Mangabey
- National Science Foundation press release
- Highland Mangabey's honk-bark (in .WAVWAVWaveform Audio File Format , is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs...
format) - Video of Highland Mangabey (in MPEG format)
- ITIS Report: Lophocebus kipunji (Accessed September 28, 2005)