New Monkey Species Revealed Thanks To Distinctive Penis

Meet the world’s newest monkey. The white-cheeked macaque, Macaca leucogenys, has been discovered in south-eastern Tibet, in biodiverse yet poorly studied forests in the politically volatile area.It is distinguished from the other four macaque species in the region by its rounded glans penis and a dark, hairy scrotum. Other macaques there have a spear-shaped glans penis and white scrotums. It also has thick, long hair around its neck, unlike the other four species.It forages in a wide range of habitats, from tropical forests at an altitude of 1395 metres up to at 2700 metres in mixed forests of broad-leaves and conifers. The landscape of Tibetan state Modog, where it was found, encompasses low-lying grasslands, tropical and evergreen forests and alpine meadows, providing habitats for a great diversity of species.Full story here. —————————————–