The first time successfully extracted the mysterious monkey species DNA in Jamaica

An international team of scientists successfully extracted DNA from fossil specimens of a mysterious monkey species in Jamaica: Xenothrix mcgregori.

The monkey that DNA scientists extracted determined unlike any other monkey species existing on Earth with very different characteristics.

As described by scientists, Jamaican monkeys (Xenothrix mcgregori) often move slowly like sloths today with less teeth and leg bones similar to rodents.

Current Titi monkey species.

The current 'descendant' of Xenothrix mcgregori is closely related to a group of monkeys named Titi , found in the South American rainforest area.

The latest study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA), provides interesting new insights about this group of animals.

'I'm glad we were able to extract DNA from the specimens obtained and solve the Caribbean's complex history of primates , ' said Ian Barnes, a member of the research team from the History Museum Natural London said.

According to the researchers, the ancestors of Xenothrix may have appeared in Jamaica about 11 million years ago. DNA analysis of Xenothrix shows that this species then undergoes dramatic evolutionary changes due to the region's unique environment. This means that, over time, their bodies are different from today's Titi monkeys.

"From the ancient DNA samples we extracted indicated that Jamaican monkeys are different but are actually just a Titi monkey with some unusual morphological characteristics, not a completely different branch." , Ross MacPhee from the Mammalogy Museum of Natural History of America, co-author of the study revealed.

"However, the extinction of Xenothrix, growing on an island without any native mammals, underscores the great vulnerability of island biodiversity in the face of impact. of man , " said Samuel Turvey, another researcher.

The Caribbean Islands are the area that once existed the most exotic and mysterious species ever developed. However, this area has also experienced the highest extinction level in the world since the end of the last Ice Age. Humans are thought to be the main cause of the high extinction rate of animals due to habitat loss and hunting.