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May 10, 2024

Home > Biology > Breaking Reproductive Isolation? Mysterious 'Hybrid Monkey' Found In Borneo, Nursing Cubs

Breaking Reproductive Isolation? Mysterious 'Hybrid Monkey' Found In Borneo, Nursing Cubs

Breaking Reproductive Isolation? Mysterious 'Hybrid Monkey' Found In Borneo, Nursing Cubs

When it comes to monkeys, some of you may associate them with the theory of evolution. The theory of evolution suggests that we humans and monkeys, primates, share a common ancestor, and that we both originated from the forest apes millions of years ago. Those forest apes evolved over millions of years, and some of them evolved into humans, some of them evolved into monkeys, and some of them evolved into chimpanzees or other primates.

We put aside for the moment that humans and monkeys, these primates are not really evolved from the forest archaeopteryx, it is reasonable to say that humans and these primates have relatively obvious differences in appearance, genes and other aspects, are already different species, and should not be able to complete the union between each other to give birth to love crystals. Similarly, there are many kinds of primates, and there should also be reproductive isolation between different primates, theoretically it is also impossible to produce love crystals between different populations of monkeys or orangutans. However, scientists have discovered that there is a mysterious monkey in borneo that is the love child of different monkey hybrids.

Mysterious "Hybrid monkey" Appears in borneo

In 2017, the news of a mysterious "Hybrid monkey" Appeared on social media platforms, and a photographer photographed a young hybrid monkey near the kinabatangan river in malaysian borneo. In 2020 when a new photo was taken, the monkey has grown up, after confirming that the hybrid monkey is an adult female monkey. Scientists have concluded that this "Hybrid monkey" Is likely the offspring of a cross between a proboscis monkey and a silver langur, two distantly related species that live in the same habitat.

University of malaysia primatologist nadine rupert said the mysterious hybrid monkey was found nursing a cub with swollen breasts that were clearly in lactation, suggesting that the hybrid monkey was fertile. This discovery is incredible. Although it appears to have "Broken" Reproductive isolation, theoretically, the offspring of a cross between two distantly related species should not be fertile.

Although proboscis monkeys and silver langurs may appear to be in competition for habitat and food when they live in the same area, they actually live in harmony, and in some mixed groups, female proboscis monkeys even help to care for their silver langur pups. Since this hybrid monkey has characteristics of both monkeys, for example, its nose and pronunciation are like those of female proboscis monkeys, but not as long as those of proboscis monkeys.

Japanese zoo culling hybrid monkeys

Although it is amazing that hybrid monkeys of different species combined with each other still have the ability to give birth, hybrid monkeys are actually not an uncommon situation. Nearly a third of the monkeys in a japanese zoo are hybrids, but these hybrids were culled by the japanese zoo.

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In the mt. Takago nature zoo, where japanese macaques are kept, there are often cases of crossbreeding between macaques and wild rhesus macaques. Subsequently, the local authorities in japan conducted a dna survey of all the monkeys in this zoo and confirmed that 57 of the 167 monkeys were hybrids after the macaques crossed with specific exotic creatures, the rhesus macaques, accounting for about a third of the monkey population. Fearing that these exotic rhesus macaques, as well as the hybrid monkeys, would have a deleterious effect on the local ecosystem, they were not allowed to be kept in this zoo, and it was subsequently decided to cull these hybrids.

Earth or going into a second civilization?

Since there are some views that humans evolved from the forest archaeopteryx, and many studies have shown that humans did live a very primitive life in the early days, going through the process of paleolithic, neolithic, etc. Before entering our current era, when seeing some monkeys showing some behaviors that are more similar to those in human history, there are those who think that the earth may be in "Reincarnation" And that a second civilization may emerge on earth. Could this be true?

Some of my friends think so because they saw the panamanian monkeys learn to use tools and think that the evolution of humans is "Repeating".

According to a study in the journal biorxiv, scientists found a group of white-faced capuchins using rocks to crack nuts on a small island in panama. Also, some white-faced capuchins carry one or two rocks with them when they go out, possibly to use as defense or tools. Scientists then began to observe these white-faced capuchins for a long time. In the observation, scientists also found that these white-faced capuchin monkeys will use stones to dig the soil, or will be polished into various shapes, like humans in primitive society to make stone tools. This discovery has led many people to believe that these primates may have really entered the "Stone age" And that a so-called "Second civilization" May emerge on earth in the future.

Although these white-faced capuchin monkeys do appear to have some primitive human-like behavior, such as using stone tools or making tools, this does not mean that the earth will enter a second civilization. After all, at this stage, humans are the "Masters" Of the planet, and it is unlikely that humans will allow a second civilization to emerge. In addition, many animals can actually use tools, not only the white-faced capuchin monkeys will use tools, but they use tools more similar to the primitive human situation, which has attracted attention.

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