Despite centuries of exploration, scientists continue to find incredible new species of wildlife. The latest discovery is a previously unknown monkey with distinctive orange lips and a deep roaring whoop. The primate was found in a rainforest in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is just the fifth new species of African monkey to be found in the past 75 years. Locals in the area call the monkey Likweli. Scientists have given it the scientific name Colobus congoensis. Anthropologist Kate Detwiler said: "The discovery of Colobus congoensis is both a scientific triumph and a sobering reminder that some of Earth's rarest creatures may vanish before the world even knows they exist."
Anthropologists say the Likweli is a different type of monkey. It has a glossy black coat, long fur, and a flowing tail. It also has stunning orange lips and facial markings. Researchers from Florida Atlantic University said the Likweli has "distinctive skull, dental, and skeletal characteristics". These distinguish it from other known colobus monkeys. Study co-author Professor Christopher Gilbert concurred. He said: "We analyzed museum collections, examining skulls, pelts, and skeletal anatomy alongside specimens from known African colobus monkeys. Those comparisons allowed us to demonstrate conclusively that Colobus congoensis represents a distinct species."
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Chat
Talk about these words from the article.
exploration / scientists / species / wildlife / monkey / Congo / anthropologist / vanish / fur / tail / orange lips / skull / skeleton / professor / museum / anatomy / Africa
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Discussion – Student
1) What do you think about what you read?
2) How does the look of the Likweli sound?
3) What are the differences between monkeys and apes?
4) What surprised you about the new monkey in the article?
5) What questions would you ask a monkey if it could talk?
6) If you could spend one day as a monkey, what would you do?
7) If you found a new monkey species, what would you name it?
8) What questions would you like to ask the anthropologists?
