The past few years have been very exciting for
physical/biological anthropologists.
There have been a number of new discoveries in the field of
paleoanthropology, but now recently the first new finding in primatology since
1929 has been announced: the discovery of a new orangutan species. The Tapanuli Orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis) is disrupting our current understanding of the
Great Apes but also drawing renewed attention on conservation efforts because
this new ape species is the most at risk of extinction around the globe. Today’s blog post will address what this
discovery is, what it means for primatological studies, and why this species at
such great risk of extinction.
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| Figure 1: Tapanuli Orangutan |
The discovery of the Tapanuli Orangutan (Figure 1) was one
part serendipity and one part inevitable.
The species had originally been recorded in the early 20th
century by naturalists working on the Island of Sumatra, but no further
investigations had been conducted. Several
decades a local rescue group was called to aid an injured orangutan, which
reignited the inquiry as the researchers realized that this orangutan was
unlike the other species they knew about.
Genetic, morphological, and other differences define this species. Its facial morphology is unlike that of the
Sumatran Orangutan, and its hair is frizzier.
Furthermore, it eats caterpillars, which is quite unique!
Genetic evidence separates this species from the Sumatran
species, and it also demonstrates that it is more evolutionary similar to
Bornean Orangutans. This has led
primatologists to gain a greater understanding of the orangutan evolution. Additionally, there were originally only six
species of great apes believed to exist (of which humans are one), and with the
discovery of the Tapanuli Orangutan there are now seven. This information is increasing our knowledge
of apes and our evolution.
Unfortunately, with the discovery of the Tapanuli Orangutan come
great concerns regarding its survival.
Much like the Sumatran and Bornean species the Tapanuli Orangutan is
also endangered but moreso because there are only approximately 800 individuals
within the population. This is
incredibly problematic because orangutans in general breed very slowly, meaning
they are less likely to increase their population in time to deal with the
other threats that they are currently confronting. These threats include risks to their
environment due to the construction of a dam and road and hunting from humans
for food and because they are seen as pests.
Researchers seeking to study these creatures are very concerned about
their loss, and they are seeking creative ways for encouraging human
participation in their protection.
This creativity may very well come from environmental
anthropologists who work in the region or on conservation issues, which is an
area of anthropology with a great deal of career potentials at the moment. If you are interested in pursuing a degree in
anthropology but are not sure what specifically you want to focus on this may
be an area to consider. As anthropology
is a dynamic degree with a lot of career potential you really cannot go wrong
with any area, but if you want to make a difference on environmental issues or
for this newly discovered species become an environmental anthropologist today!
References
Gill, V. 2017. “New Great Ape Species Identified in Indonesia.” BBC
News. http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-41848816
Goldman, J.
2017. “New Species of Orangutan
Is Rarest Great Ape on Earth.” National Geographic. https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/11/new-orangutan-species-sumatra-borneo-indonesia-animals/
Knapton, S. 2017. “New Great Ape Discovered…And Immediately
Listed As World’s Most Endangered.” The Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/11/02/new-great-ape-discovered-immediately-listed-worlds-endangered/
Stokstad, E.
2017. “New Great Ape Species
Found, Sparking Fears for Its Survival.”
Science Magazine. http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/11/new-great-ape-species-found-sparking-fears-its-survival
8 comments:
I have a question where did the name Tapanuli Orangutan name originate from .- Mykia Chaney
I'm actually not quite sure. I encourage you to look into it as you're curious. :)
After reading this blog post it does not seem like they know how to keep this species from dying off because they procreate at a very slow rate and they only have about 800 individuals within their population. It is also problematic when industries are getting rid of dams and cutting down trees they see the tapanuli grangutan as a pest.
Interesting to learn about this species. The population is small thought. With the threats they're facing, I'm sure they'll survive. Unless they migrate somewhere else in desperation to survive.
How many Orangutan are there? I know of only two. The population being small how do they procreate?
- Malacia Lowe
Well, there are now three species of Orangutans out there. All of them have very small populations, meaning there are fewer mates to procreate with. This limits genetic diversity within the population, which can negatively impact their ability to survive. Plus, because it takes so long for them to mate between raising their offspring that also is a factor that affects their ability to survive as a species.
Its very disappointing hearing about animals dying off. However, I'm not sure that I heard of this type of Orangutan before which is why is also sad to hear/read about animals dying off. Most of them are some we never knew existed.
-Kyla Thomas
I have never heard of The Tapanuli Orangutan.I like animals, so for me to read that they are just dying off kind of hits home for me.This is a big problem because they breed very very slowly. That has to change.
-Jasmine Busby
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