A new species of great ape has been discovered in the Batang Toru ecosystem located in North Sumatra, Indonesia.
But don’t get too excited; Pongo tapanuliensis, known as the Tapanuli orangutan, is also one of the most threatened great apes in the world.
Researchers discovered the new orangutan in 1997, but it wasn’t clear at the time that this species had sufficient differences to warrant classification as a separate species from the great apes already classified. In 2013, a skeleton belonging to one of these orangutans was acquired, and studies of the skull revealed differences in its structure and teeth compared to those of other apes.
Analysis also revealed that the orangutans appear to be direct descendants of the original Asian migrants.
Following this discovery, researchers now believe there are only about 800 Tapanuli orangutans left in the Batang Toru ecosystem. Due to hunting and encroachment on its habitat by a hydroelectric dam, the species is at risk of extinction.
National Geographic writes about the Tapanuli orangutan, or what they call the “new” orangutan, here.
Read the full study here.
