Evrim Yazgin
Cosmos science journalist
A large-scale study of primate populations around the world has revealed which of our closest cousins are most at risk of extinction.
The research is published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. It includes data from 22,705 locations across 4 regions: mainland Africa, Madagascar, Asia and the Neotropics – an area including Central and South America and the Caribbean.
Factors included in the study to determine their impact on population health were forest cover, , body size, home range, whether the primates are nocturnal or diurnal, how the animals move around, evolutionary distinctness and climatic instability.
The results were not uniform across the regions.
For example, instability in rainfall saw increased risk of extinction in the Neotropics but led to a decrease in mainland Africa and Madagascar.
“In recent decades, human activities, such as agriculture, mining and infrastructure development, have increased worldwide, threatening species persistence,” the study authors write. “This situation is particularly alarming in the tropics, which have the highest deforestation rates, and approximately 27% of all assessed mammal species are threatened with extinction.”
But, the researchers say, the main predictors of species loss due to human activity remain unclear. This is because previous studies have focused on a small set of species, threats and regions.
The researchers say it’s critical to understand the vulnerability of our closest relatives, the primates – a group which includes apes, monkeys and lemurs.
“Primates are crucial for maintaining ecosystem functionality through herbivory, seed dispersal and pollination, serving as both prey and predators and even as ecosystem engineers. However, the current state of primate populations is alarming, with approximately 67% of primate species facing the threat of extinction and approximately 75% experiencing declining populations.”
“Our findings highlight the importance of climate change mitigation and forest protection strategies. Increasing the protection of large primates and reducing hunting are also essential,” the authors write.
