Mark Hamill Proud Of New Primate Species, But 'Simian Skywalker' Already Endangered

First Posted: Jan 12, 2017 02:30 AM EST
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A new species of gibbons has been found living in the tropical forests of southwest China. The animal, which has been studied for some time now, was confirmed to be different to that of others in the family.

According to BBC News, the new gibbon species has been named Skywalker Hoolock Gibbon, partly because the Chinese characters of its scientific name translates to "heaven's movement" and also partly due to the fact that the scientists who discovered it are fans of Star Wars -- the latter being the more obvious reason for the etymology of its name.

Dr. Sam Turvey of the Zoological Society of London, who was part of the team studying the gibbon species, shared with BBC News that the Skywalkers were found in an area where so many species have declined in numbers or have actually gone extinct. This is why something as rare as the gibbons in the Chinese rainforest are considered special.

The Hoolock gibbons, recently acknowledged as a new species, can be found in Bangladesh, India, China and Myanmar. A report by CNN noted that there are as few as 200 of these endangered species left in China.

The research team led by Fan Peng-Fei of the Sun Yatsen University in China first suspected their uniqueness when the primates were seen to have different markings and appearance as their cousins. Their songs, which gibbons use to bond with others of their kind and to mark their territory, were also said to have a slightly different ring. This is why the team carried out a full physical and genetic comparison, which confirmed that they are indeed a different species.

News of the Skywalker gibbon also made waves online, even getting the attention of Mr. Skywalker, Mark Hamill, himself. Hamill tweeted that he is proud to hear about the "Simian Skywalker" and "Jungle Jedi" that were discovered in the Gaoligong Mountain forests in China.

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