The Americas' biggest monkey returns from the brink of extinction
July 2, 2023 4:43 PM Subscribe
The Americas' biggest monkey returns from the brink of extinction. Four decades ago there were just 50 northern mariquis left in Brazil's Atlantic forest and the Americas' biggest monkey was threatened with extinction. Now there are 232 in a protected reserve, plus more in the wild.
"To Ms Strier's surprise, the northern muriqui turned out to be radically different from large primates studied by Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey, the primatologists who made chimpanzees and mountain gorillas globally famous emblems of conservation.
Research was focusing on primates from Africa and Asia, where dominant males frequently fought one another to impose or maintain their power in highly hierarchical societies. Ms Strier herself had spent six months studying baboons in Kenya.
"Muriquis are at the far other extreme of peacefulness," she said.
In 1983, her first year of research, the biologist spent 14 months in the rainforest observing muriquis. This slender vegetarian can measure up to 1.5 metres from head to tail, and weigh up to 15 kilograms. While muriquis can live as long as 45 years, females can only give birth every three years, slowing down efforts to repopulate the species.
She noticed that males spent a lot of time in peaceful proximity — often within arm's reach. And when there's a contest for food, water or a female, males don't fight like most other primates, but wait, avoid one another, or hug.
This unusually friendly behaviour has earned them the nickname "hippie monkey".
Gender roles among muriquis also were unusual among large primates, Ms Strier's initial research found. Much like bonobos, muriqui females are the same size as males, meaning they have a lot of autonomy, and in muriqui societies, females break off from the group to seek partners."
"To Ms Strier's surprise, the northern muriqui turned out to be radically different from large primates studied by Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey, the primatologists who made chimpanzees and mountain gorillas globally famous emblems of conservation.
Research was focusing on primates from Africa and Asia, where dominant males frequently fought one another to impose or maintain their power in highly hierarchical societies. Ms Strier herself had spent six months studying baboons in Kenya.
"Muriquis are at the far other extreme of peacefulness," she said.
In 1983, her first year of research, the biologist spent 14 months in the rainforest observing muriquis. This slender vegetarian can measure up to 1.5 metres from head to tail, and weigh up to 15 kilograms. While muriquis can live as long as 45 years, females can only give birth every three years, slowing down efforts to repopulate the species.
She noticed that males spent a lot of time in peaceful proximity — often within arm's reach. And when there's a contest for food, water or a female, males don't fight like most other primates, but wait, avoid one another, or hug.
This unusually friendly behaviour has earned them the nickname "hippie monkey".
Gender roles among muriquis also were unusual among large primates, Ms Strier's initial research found. Much like bonobos, muriqui females are the same size as males, meaning they have a lot of autonomy, and in muriqui societies, females break off from the group to seek partners."
Muriquis allegedly smell nice, which gives the lie to "like stink on a monkey" and that other version of Happy Birthday to You.
posted by scruss at 7:28 PM on July 2, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by scruss at 7:28 PM on July 2, 2023 [1 favorite]
"I love everything about them; they're beautiful animals, they're graceful, they even smell good, like cinnamon," the American primatologist told The Associated PressIt's legally required to mention that muriquis smell like cinnamon in every article written about them.
Also, that primatologist, Karen Strier, sounded familiar. And yep, she is author of the textbook, Primate Behavioral Ecology, which I think I still have somewhere left over from undergrad.
posted by Panjandrum at 7:40 PM on July 2, 2023 [2 favorites]
See men, this is how we should act. Chill with your bros. Give 'em a hug.
"Hippy Monkey" is a nice sock name. Can fight hippybear for the hippy mantle.
posted by Windopaene at 9:25 PM on July 2, 2023
"Hippy Monkey" is a nice sock name. Can fight hippybear for the hippy mantle.
posted by Windopaene at 9:25 PM on July 2, 2023
Was Deloys' Ape a muriqui? (DeLoys' "ape" has been thought to be a spider monkey with amputated tail, but was much larger than spider monkeys' normal length. The photo was used in a hoax by another guy, so has a tainted past.)
posted by CCBC at 9:54 PM on July 2, 2023
posted by CCBC at 9:54 PM on July 2, 2023
I love everything about them; they're beautiful animals, they're graceful, they even smell good, like cinnamon
Well no wonder they’re almost extinct. I know I’d try to eat them because as a bonafide cinnamon fiend, I’d have to know if they also tasted like cinnamon.
posted by [insert clever name here] at 10:42 PM on July 2, 2023
Well no wonder they’re almost extinct. I know I’d try to eat them because as a bonafide cinnamon fiend, I’d have to know if they also tasted like cinnamon.
posted by [insert clever name here] at 10:42 PM on July 2, 2023
They should go on tour with the Palouse giant earthworm that quasi-apocryphally smells of lilies.
posted by away for regrooving at 11:12 PM on July 2, 2023
posted by away for regrooving at 11:12 PM on July 2, 2023
Thanks for this - had never heard of the mariqui; so great to hear some positive news about them.
(I found "There Shouldn't Be Monkeys In South America" video. - basically the contention seems to be that those which are currently there (as opposed to earlier species which came over land bridges but then went extinct) came over from Africa by raft.)
posted by rongorongo at 1:58 AM on July 3, 2023
(I found "There Shouldn't Be Monkeys In South America" video. - basically the contention seems to be that those which are currently there (as opposed to earlier species which came over land bridges but then went extinct) came over from Africa by raft.)
posted by rongorongo at 1:58 AM on July 3, 2023
It's legally required to mention that muriquis smell like cinnamon in every article written about them.
They should go on tour with the Palouse giant earthworm that quasi-apocryphally smells of lilies.
It's also worth noting that the Binturong smells like popcorn.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 2:26 AM on July 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
They should go on tour with the Palouse giant earthworm that quasi-apocryphally smells of lilies.
It's also worth noting that the Binturong smells like popcorn.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 2:26 AM on July 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
They should go on tour with the Palouse giant earthworm that quasi-apocryphally smells of lilies.
And Copperhead snakes which do smell like cucumbers.
As far as cinnamon goes there’s this comment from long ago:
This Askme explores whether the smell of cinnamon blocks the smell of decayed corpses, and some evidence is adduced that it might.
But if something blocks a receptor, that means it binds to it strongly enough to exclude the ligand that would activate that receptor, and it’s easy to imagine that there could be enough variations in the receptor across species and within them that substances which block the receptor in some activate it in others.
So if one of your predator evasion strategies is playing dead, producing a strong smell of cinnamon might add considerably other verisimilitude of your act to some predators.
posted by jamjam at 3:25 AM on July 3, 2023
And Copperhead snakes which do smell like cucumbers.
As far as cinnamon goes there’s this comment from long ago:
On the idea of food subjectivity - I recently read an article where food scientists were testing various spices and tastes with widespread cultures. Apparently, in several parts of Africa where traditional foods are still heavily favored, natives had never tasted cinnamon before and reacted violently. Gagging and puking was witnessed, among those the could be convinced to try it. These peoples associated the very smell of the spice with meat gone bad - seriously poisoned fair that could not be saved by cooking.which I haven’t tried to confirm, but which doesn’t seem too improbable to me.
This Askme explores whether the smell of cinnamon blocks the smell of decayed corpses, and some evidence is adduced that it might.
But if something blocks a receptor, that means it binds to it strongly enough to exclude the ligand that would activate that receptor, and it’s easy to imagine that there could be enough variations in the receptor across species and within them that substances which block the receptor in some activate it in others.
So if one of your predator evasion strategies is playing dead, producing a strong smell of cinnamon might add considerably other verisimilitude of your act to some predators.
posted by jamjam at 3:25 AM on July 3, 2023
'considerably add to the verisimilitude of your act …', that is.
posted by jamjam at 3:33 AM on July 3, 2023
posted by jamjam at 3:33 AM on July 3, 2023
CCBC: Was Deloys' Ape a muriqui? (DeLoys' "ape" has been thought to be a spider monkey with amputated tail, but was much larger than spider monkeys' normal length. The photo was used in a hoax by another guy, so has a tainted past.)
I think the obvious solution, that it was a white-bellied spider monkey, is almost certainly the right one. I don’t know if you’re referring to George Montandon as the other guy, but yeah, anything he had anything to do with should be dismissed. Darren Naish had a good overview of the case on the Scientific American blog.
posted by Kattullus at 3:52 AM on July 3, 2023
I think the obvious solution, that it was a white-bellied spider monkey, is almost certainly the right one. I don’t know if you’re referring to George Montandon as the other guy, but yeah, anything he had anything to do with should be dismissed. Darren Naish had a good overview of the case on the Scientific American blog.
posted by Kattullus at 3:52 AM on July 3, 2023
The Americas' biggest monkey returns from the brink of extinction.
For one sublime second I thought this included North America.
That would be cool.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 7:55 AM on July 3, 2023
For one sublime second I thought this included North America.
That would be cool.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 7:55 AM on July 3, 2023
Kattullus: Yes, Montandon was the guy who built the story about a New World ape. The muriqui is much bigger than a spider monkey, and De Loys' animal apparently accompanied him and showed behavior more like muriqui than spider monkey. De Loys' monkey had its tail amputated. The account given here is of interest.
posted by CCBC at 4:55 PM on July 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by CCBC at 4:55 PM on July 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
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