The new species were named Alouatta iroi and Alouatta matogrossensis. The adorable creatures have bushy beards, winsome expressions and bright red fur. Their identification raises the number of known howler monkey species to 16, researchers said in a statement.
One of the newfound species, A. matogrossensis, is probably on the brink of extinction. The other newfound species faces threats from a planned dam on the Rio Branco River, according to the study.
The newfound howler monkey species Alouatta iroi, photographed in Guiana. (Image credit: John Trent CC-BY-NC-ND)
Overall, the genetic data confirmed that howler monkeys diverged from close relatives between 19 million and 13.5 million years ago. But the analysis changed the picture of more recent evolution.
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The scientists found that natural barriers such as the Amazon River, the Xingu River and the Branco River drove many howler monkeys to develop separately. Researchers believe that howler monkeys can swim across small waterways, but big rivers block groups from mixing, which led to different traits and species evolving over time. Natural barriers are a common reason why species emerge in the Amazon, the researchers noted in the study.
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