View source for Arunachal macaque

{{Short description|Species of Old World monkey}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2020}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Arunachal macaque
| image = Arunachal macaque from Bugun and Shertukpen forests around Eaglenest WLS.JPG
| image_caption = Arunachal macaque from Bugun and Shertukpen forests around Eaglenest WLS
| status = EN
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{Cite iucn |title=''Macaca munzala'' |author=Kumar, A. |author2=Sinha, A. |author3=Kumar, S. |name-list-style=amp |page=e.T136569A4311929 |date=2008 }}</ref>
| genus = Macaca
| species = munzala
| authority = Sinha et al., 2005<ref name=Sinha/>
| range_map = Arunachal Macaque area.png
| range_map_caption = Arunachal macaque range
}}

The '''Arunachal macaque''' (''Macaca munzala'') is a [[macaque]] native to [[Arunachal Pradesh]] in [[North-east India]]. It is listed as [[Endangered]] on the [[IUCN Red List]].<ref name=iucn/> 
It was [[scientific description|scientifically described]] in 2005.<ref name=Sinha>{{cite journal |author=Sinha, A. |author2=Datta, A. |author3=Madhusudan, M. D. |author4=Mishra, C. |name-list-style=amp |year=2005 |title=''Macaca munzala'': a new species from western Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India |journal=International Journal of Primatology |volume=26 |issue=4 |pages=977–989 |doi=10.1007/s10764-005-5333-3 |citeseerx=10.1.1.576.1210}}</ref>

It is a relatively large brown [[primate]] with a comparatively short tail.
Its species name comes from ''munzala'' ("monkey of the deep forest") as it was called by the [[Monpa people]].<ref>Press release issued jointly by [[Nature Conservation Foundation|NCF]], [[Wildlife Conservation Society|WCS, New York]], International Snow Leopard Trust & [[National Institute of Advanced Studies|NIAS, Bangalore]]&nbsp;&nbsp;[http://www.snowleopardnetwork.org/docs_news/macaque_press_release.pdf PDF] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061230231000/http://www.snowleopardnetwork.org/docs_news/macaque_press_release.pdf |date=30 December 2006}}</ref>

==Discovery==
[[File:Arunachal macaque on a camera trap in Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary.JPG|left|thumb|A camera trap photograph of Arunachal macaques in Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, India]]
It was discovered as a new taxon in 1997 by the noted Indian primatologist Anwaruddin Choudhury, but he thought it to be a new subspecies of the [[Tibetan macaque]] (''M. thibetana'').<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Rhino Foundation Newsletter|year=2004|volume=6| title=The mystery macaques of Arunachal Pradesh |author=Choudhury, A. |pages=21–25 |url= https://archive.org/stream/RhinoFoundation#page/n25/mode/1up}}</ref> It was described as a new species in 2005 by a group of scientists from the [[Nature Conservation Foundation]], [[India]].<ref name=Sinha/> It is the first species of macaque to have been discovered since 1903, when the [[Indonesia]]n [[Pagai Island macaque]] was discovered. This monkey was reported on the basis of a good quality photograph as the [[holotype]]. In 2011, some researchers suggested, on the basis of morphological variation within the [[Assamese macaque]], that it might be better treated as a subspecies.<ref>{{cite journal|title=The Enigmatic Arunachal Macaque: Its Biogeography, Biology and Taxonomy in Northeastern India|author=Biswas, J. |author2=Borah, D. K. |author3=Das, A. |author4=Das, J. |author5=Bhattacharjee, P. C. |author6=Mohnot, S. M. |author7=Horwich, R. H. |name-list-style=amp |journal=American Journal of Primatology |volume=73 |issue=5 |pmid=21246593 |doi=10.1002/ajp.20924 |year=2011 |pages=458–73}}</ref>

Subsequently, it was also discovered in Bhutan, where it was observed and photographed in the Trashi Yangshi area in 2006.<ref>{{cite journal |author = Choudhury A.U. |year=2008 |title=Primates of Bhutan and observations of hybrid langurs |journal=Primate Conservation |volume=23 |pages=65–73 |doi=10.1896/052.023.0107}}</ref>

==Description==
The Arunachal macaque is compactly built and has a very dark face. It lives at high altitudes, between 2000&nbsp;m and 3500&nbsp;m above sea level, making it one of the highest-dwelling primates. It belongs to the ''M. sinica'' species-group of macaques, along with the [[Assamese macaque]] (''M. assamensis''), the Tibetan macaque, the [[bonnet macaque]] (''M. radiata'') and the [[toque macaque]] (''M. sinica'').

The Arunachal macaque is apparently physically similar to the Assam and Tibetan macaques, while genetically closely related to the bonnet macaque of southern India.<ref>{{cite journal | author = Chakraborty, D. | author2 = Ramakrishnan, U. | author3 = Panor, J. | author4 = Mishra, C. | author5 = Sinha, A. | title = Phylogenetic relationships and morphometric affinities of the Arunachal macaque Macaca munzala, a newly described primate from Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India | journal = Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution | year = 2007 | doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2007.04.007 |volume=44 |pages=838–49 |pmid=17548213 |issue=2}}</ref> This is probably the result of [[convergent evolution]], where organisms evolve similar physical features due to similar environmental selection pressure, while genetically they may have different origins. However, its full specific status is not beyond doubt and further research might show it to be a new subspecies of Assamese or Tibetan macaques.{{fact|date=February 2020}}

This monkey is severely persecuted in some parts of its known distribution by locals retaliating against crop raiding. Recent{{when?|date=February 2020}} surveys suggest that this species may be highly endangered in some parts of Arunachal Pradesh.{{fact|date=February 2020}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikispecies|Macaca munzala|Arunachal Macaque}}
* [http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/~sbhatnag/Nature/warunachal/wapMiscMacaque.htm Arunachal Macaque information with photograph]

{{C.Cercopithecinae nav}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q716628}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:macaque, Arunachal}}
[[Category:Macaca|Arunachal macaque]]
[[Category:Primates of South Asia]]
[[Category:Fauna of Arunachal Pradesh]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 2005|Arunachal macaque]]