SCIENCE / MEDICINE : New Monkey Species Discovered
A previously unknown species of monkey with a lion-like head and a striking gold and black coat has been found on the island of Superagui, south of the city of Sao Paulo, in one of Brazil’s most populous regions, researchers reported last week. The black-faced lion tamarin, as the new monkey is called, is a golden squirrel-sized monkey with black face, forearms and tail. It is only the fourth species of lion tamarin known.
The most famous species is the golden-lion tamarin, which has been bred in captivity at the National Zoo in Washington and elsewhere around the world and successfully reintroduced into a reserve in Brazil. That tamarin is all gold in color. Two other species are all black or black with a golden head.
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