Threat of abrupt mortality events keeps endangered monkey population at risk, despite decades of growth

by Elise Mahon, University of Wisconsin–Madison
December 16, 2024

Despite the population being almost four times larger than it was in 1982, a new study published in the journal Ecology suggests the northern muriqui monkeys remain at risk, especially in the face of ongoing habitat disturbances.

Northern muriquis, which live in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, are much more peaceful and egalitarian compared to other primates. They are also one of the most endangered species of monkey in the world.

Karen Strier, a professor of anthropology at UW–Madison and lead author of the paper, has spent 40 years studying the behavior and ecology of these monkeys in a small, preserved portion of Brazilian forest. She teamed up with Anthony Ives, a professor of ecology and evolution at UW–Madison, who is well versed in modeling demographic changes over time.

“My goal is simply to put into statistics what Karen already knows,” Ives says. “She knows her data so well, and long-term studies with this level of detail for an endangered species are very rare.”

Keep reading: https://news.wisc.edu/threat-of-abrupt-mortality-events-keeps-endangered-monkey-population-at-risk-despite-decades-of-growth/

Read the Ecology paper: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecy.4487