A New Genus of African Monkey, Rungwecebus : Morphology, Ecology, and Molecular Phylogenetics

Abstract

A new species of African monkey, Lophocebus kipunji , was described in 2005 based on observations from two sites in Tanzania. We have since obtained a specimen killed by a farmer on Mount Rungwe, the type locality. Detailed molecular phylogenetic analyses of this specimen demonstrate that the genus Lophocebus is diphyletic. We provide a description of a new genus of African monkey and of the only preserved specimen of this primate. We also present information on the animal's ecology and conservation.