Star Wars gives its name to a new species of gibbon. But it is already in danger of extinction (PHOTO and VIDEO)

A new primate discovered in the forests of the Gaoligong Mountains. Scientists, passionate about Star Wars, have called it Skywalker. The problem is that it is already among the endangered species

He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

Un new primate discovered in the forests of the Gaoligong mountains, in the southwestern province Chinese of Yunnan. It's about a new species of gibbon, nicknamed "Hoolock Skywalker”, In honor, needless to say, of Star Wars.

Discovering this new primate was a Chinese, British and American research team, led by Fan Pengfei, of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, who describes the extraordinary discovery in the study “Description of a new species of Hoolock gibbon (Primates: Hylobatidae) based on integrative taxonomy ”published in the American Journal of Primatology.

READ also: DISCOVERY AFTER 100 YEARS OF A NEW SPECIES OF GIANT TURTLE FROM THE GALAPAGOS

Specifically, what came out was one new species of the genus of "hoolock gibbons", of which the western hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) and the eastern hoolock gibbon (H. leuconedys) are already known.

Unlike all other gibbon populations, this “hoolocks” distributed east of the Irawaddy-Nmai Hka rivers - previously assigned to H. leuconedys - is actually morphologically and genetically distinct from those west of the river ”. For this the researchers are asking for these animals to be recognized as a new species: gibbone Hoolock Gaoligong or "Skywalker”(H. Tianxing - sp nov.), A name inspired by Star Wars and the habit of these animals of live in the top of the trees and the fact that the Chinese have always seen gibbons as almost mystical beings.

Already at risk of extinction

That's right. The new discovery is veiled by a note of bitterness. Samuel Turvey, of the Zoological Society of London (Zsl) Institute of Zoology and one of the authors of the study, explained that he had asked "the IUCN (International Union for Conservation for Nature) to immediately confer a state of danger on hoolock Skywalker, as its survival is at risk, like many other small monkey species in southern China and Southeast Asia, due to habitat loss and hunting. Greater awareness of the remarkable ecosystem and better conservation of the Gaoligong Mountains are essential to make sure you have time to fully get to know this new species before it's too late. "

According to the researchers, there are roughly 200 of the Skywalker gibbons living in China and a few more in neighboring Myanmar.

Now discovered and already in danger: the new species of gibbons is already suffering from the loss of its habitat and the repercussions of hunting beyond all measure.

Germana Carillo

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