They discovered a new species of the most chic primate …

A A team of researchers from several countries has discovered in the Ecuadorian Amazon a new species of tití pigmeo, also known as the lion. It is the smallest primates in the world, which do not exceed 16 centimeters in height. The discovery of Cebuella Niveiventris, its scientific name, was published by the University of San Francisco de Quito (USFQ).

The study, conducted since 2015, confirmed the existence of an unpublished species of pygmy marmoset in this jungle region, despite the fact that a similar species was known, first described in 1823.

Until the discovery, it was believed that a single species of pygmy marmoset, known as the Cebuella Pygmaea, inhabited the area.

The research was developed by USFQ College of Biological and Environmental Sciences researcher Stella de la Torre, in collaboration with primatologists from American universities in northern Illinois and Michigan-Ann Arbor, and the Peruvian Amazon Research Institute .

The statement from the University of Quito specifies that North of the Napo River, in the Ecuadorian Amazon region, is the Cebuella Pygmaea species, while to the south lives the newly discovered species, Cebuella Niveiventris.

Both are known biologically as “cryptic species” because they are very similar in their physical characteristics, although they differ in their DNA.

Adult pygmy marmoset specimens have an average height between 12 and 16 centimeters and a weight of 100 to 140 grams.

In nature this type of primate lives 10 to 12 years, unlike when they are in captivity, which can extend their average lifespan up to 18 years.

Currently these two species are at risk due to their habitat and diet, since they only live in the forests, river banks and lagoons of the Amazon and feed almost exclusively on the exudates of a few plants.

In the “Red Book of Mammals of Ecuador”, published in 2011, it is detailed that lions belong to the list of vulnerable species, and that theyu hunting, capture and trafficking are punishable by imprisonment of 1 to 3 years.

In the latest publication of this book, currently in edition, the Cebuella Pygmaea species, located north of the Napo River, is on the endangered species list, while the Cebuella Niveiventris, the one that lives south of this river, is listed among vulnerable species.