There was an item on the CBC today concerning a monkey that was recently found in Tanzania. Scientists actually discovered it in 2003, but they only announced the discovery last year. According to today's story, some scientists suggest giving the monkey its own genus.
On the one hand, this is a fascinating story. After all, primates are on of the best studied groups of animals in the world and scientists are proposing a new genus. That hasn't happened to a living primate in over 80 years.
On the other hand, it seems rather silly worrying about classifying the monkey when its very existence is tenuous. When the species was originally revealed, the population was estimated to be less than 1,000 and much of its habitat is under threat from humans.
