Myanmar snub-nosed monkey
Discovery and taxonomy
Discovery and taxonomy
----------------------

The Myanmar snub\-nosed monkey was first discovered in 2010 from Gaoligong Mountains of northeastern Kachin state in Myanmar. The species came to the attention of a team of scientists allied to the "Myanmar Primate Conservation Program" who were researching the status of the [hoolock gibbon](/wiki/Hoolock_gibbon "Hoolock gibbon"). The team, led by Swiss primatologist [Thomas Geissman](/wiki/Thomas_Geissman "Thomas Geissman") and [Ngwe Lwin](/wiki/Ngwe_Lwin "Ngwe Lwin") of the Myanmar [Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association](/wiki/Biodiversity_and_Nature_Conservation_Association "Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association") (BANCA), were supported by [Fauna \& Flora International](/wiki/Fauna_%26_Flora_International "Fauna & Flora International") (FFI) and the [People Resources and Conservation Foundation](/wiki/People_Resources_and_Conservation_Foundation "People Resources and Conservation Foundation") (PRCF). They reported the scientific identification in the *[American Journal of Primatology](/wiki/American_Journal_of_Primatology "American Journal of Primatology")* in 2011\. The distinguishing features of the monkey are its [fur](/wiki/Fur "Fur"), [beard](/wiki/Beard "Beard") and [tail](/wiki/Tail "Tail"). The [specific name](/wiki/Species "Species") *strykeri* was given in honour of [philanthropist](/wiki/Philanthropist "Philanthropist") [Jon Stryker](/wiki/Jon_Stryker "Jon Stryker"), president and founder of the [Arcus Foundation](/wiki/Arcus_Foundation "Arcus Foundation"), which also sponsored the project.*[New snub\-nosed monkey discovered in Northern Myanmar](http://www.physorg.com/news/2010-10-snub-nosed-monkey-northern-myanmar.html)* Oct 26 2010 [physorg.com](/wiki/PhysOrg "PhysOrg") Retrieved 28 Oct 2010

The [type specimen](/wiki/Type_specimen "Type specimen") was identified from the Maw River area. The [specimen](/wiki/Holotype "Holotype") most closely examined was the skull (with mandible) and skin of a gutted adult male obtained from hunters in [Pade](/wiki/Pade "Pade"), subsequently deposited in the [Anthropological Institute and Museum](/wiki/Anthropological_Institute_and_Museum "Anthropological Institute and Museum") of the [University of Zürich](/wiki/University_of_Z%C3%BCrich "University of Zürich"). [Additional sample](/wiki/Paratype "Paratype") skulls of animals killed some three years earlier, one male and one female, were also collected along with a bag made out of the skin of a juvenile caught in January 2010, all obtained in [Htantan](/wiki/Htantan "Htantan") village.

The team encountered seven live specimens, including an infant, but these moved out of sight before they could be photographed or studied in detail.Kaufman, R. *[New Snub\-Nosed Monkey Discovered, Eaten](https://web.archive.org/web/20101029205031/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/10/101027-snub-nosed-monkey-sneezes-new-species-science-discovered-eaten/)*  27 Oct 2010 [National Geographic](/wiki/National_Geographic_%28magazine%29 "National Geographic (magazine)") Retrieved 28 Oct 2010 Other specimens were later found in the [Yunnan Province](/wiki/Yunnan_Province "Yunnan Province") and [Salween River Basin](/wiki/Salween_River "Salween River") in China. A [camera trap](/wiki/Camera_trap "Camera trap") set by a team of FFI, BANCA and PRCF researchers captured the first known images of live snub\-nosed monkeys in January 2012\.


Why was the specific name *strykeri* given to the new primate species?