May 25, 2005
Digital Photography Plays a Major Role As Scientists Discover and Document First New African Monkey Species in Over 20 Years
MELVILLE, N.Y. —
For the first time in 20 years, a new species of monkey has been discovered deep in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania, and the proof of its scientific validity is a series of photographs captured by internationally acclaimed scientist, Dr. Tim Davenport. Using a digital SLR camera, photographs of the highland mangabey represent the first time ever that a new monkey species has been scientifically identified by just a digital photograph.
Dr. Davenport's discovery of the highland mangabey will be prominently featured in the next issue of the leading international journal, Science. Because the new species lives 8,000 feet above sea level on the flanks of a volcano, Mt. Rungwe, the rare monkey is almost impossible to spot. The steep terrain, dense and poorly-lit rainforest, as well as the shy nature of the animal, made collecting data extremely difficult. However, by using the latest digital photography technology, Dr. Davenport was able to capture images sharp enough to describe the monkey in detail.
"As part of its ongoing partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society, Nikon Inc is proud of its supportive role in aiding this unprecedented discovery," said Anna Marie Bakker, General Manager of communications for Nikon Inc. "Dr. Davenport's conservation work, along with his discovery of the highland mangabey, represents a tremendous accomplishment, and helps the world understand the true impact of digital technology on everything from family photographs to wildlife conservation."
These images proved to be immensely valuable in the species authentication process. Recently, the International Commission for Zoological Nomenclature changed its regulations permitting the 'holotype' (the individual animal that sets the standard for any new species) to be a photograph, rather than a specimen, as in the past. One of Dr. Davenport's photographs, taken with the Nikon D100, is now the holotype for this new monkey species. It is the first photographic holotype of a monkey in Africa, and possibly in the world.
"The discovery of the highland mangabey represents an amazing breakthrough in science, and Nikon played a significant role in it," said Dr. Tim Davenport, Director of the WCS' Southern Highlands Conservation Programme (SCHP) in southwest Tanzania. "Without the cutting-edge equipment from Nikon, this discovery would have been extremely difficult to capture and share with the scientific community and the world."
The highland mangabey is brown, with a head and body length of about three feet. The monkey lives as high as 8,000 feet in Kitulo and on Mt Rungwe, where temperatures often fall below freezing; its long coat is probably an adaptation to the cold. Indeed, the monkey has long been known by native hunters who climb into the mountains to hunt. However, these days it seems that only the older generation are aware of the animal. The highland mangabey is extremely rare and critically endangered, with an estimated total population of between 500 and 1,000 animals. According to Davenport, the Southern Highland forests, including those of Mt. Rungwe and Kitulo, are highly degraded by illegal logging, and without prompt action the animal's future is uncertain.
Dr. Davenport was born in Manchester, UK and received a BSc and Phd in zoology from the University of Leeds. He has worked in over 70 African forests and has been directly involved in the designation of new national parks on both sides of the continent. Dr. Davenport has written and published almost 100 papers, reports and popular articles on subjects ranging from national conservation priorities to invertebrate biology. He joined WCS and moved to Tanzania in 1999. There he set up and now directs the SHCP which carries out research, community conservation initiatives and protected area design and management in threatened habitats across the region.
Since 1895, the Wildlife Conservation Society has worked from their New York based Bronx Zoo headquarters to save wildlife and wild lands throughout the world. Today WCS is at work in 53 nations across Africa, Asia, Latin America and North America, protecting wild landscapes that are home to a vast variety of species.
For more information about Nikon's ongoing support of the Wildlife Conservation Society, please visit http://www.nikonnet.com.
About NikonNet:
NikonNet http://www.nikonnet.com is the web's leading site for photography education, photo sharing and inspiration. NikonNet leverages the resources of parent company Nikon Inc. to offer the most innovative and inspiring educational segments on the Internet. Nikon's suite of websites -- http://www.nikonusa.com, http://www.nikonnet.com, http://www.nikondigital.com, http://www.nikonmall.com and http://www.nikonschool.com -- connects consumers to the company's products and services and links users to the most complete photography education and information community available on the web today.
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Dr. Davenport's discovery of the highland mangabey will be prominently featured in the next issue of the leading international journal, Science. Because the new species lives 8,000 feet above sea level on the flanks of a volcano, Mt. Rungwe, the rare monkey is almost impossible to spot. The steep terrain, dense and poorly-lit rainforest, as well as the shy nature of the animal, made collecting data extremely difficult. However, by using the latest digital photography technology, Dr. Davenport was able to capture images sharp enough to describe the monkey in detail.
"As part of its ongoing partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society, Nikon Inc is proud of its supportive role in aiding this unprecedented discovery," said Anna Marie Bakker, General Manager of communications for Nikon Inc. "Dr. Davenport's conservation work, along with his discovery of the highland mangabey, represents a tremendous accomplishment, and helps the world understand the true impact of digital technology on everything from family photographs to wildlife conservation."
These images proved to be immensely valuable in the species authentication process. Recently, the International Commission for Zoological Nomenclature changed its regulations permitting the 'holotype' (the individual animal that sets the standard for any new species) to be a photograph, rather than a specimen, as in the past. One of Dr. Davenport's photographs, taken with the Nikon D100, is now the holotype for this new monkey species. It is the first photographic holotype of a monkey in Africa, and possibly in the world.
"The discovery of the highland mangabey represents an amazing breakthrough in science, and Nikon played a significant role in it," said Dr. Tim Davenport, Director of the WCS' Southern Highlands Conservation Programme (SCHP) in southwest Tanzania. "Without the cutting-edge equipment from Nikon, this discovery would have been extremely difficult to capture and share with the scientific community and the world."
The highland mangabey is brown, with a head and body length of about three feet. The monkey lives as high as 8,000 feet in Kitulo and on Mt Rungwe, where temperatures often fall below freezing; its long coat is probably an adaptation to the cold. Indeed, the monkey has long been known by native hunters who climb into the mountains to hunt. However, these days it seems that only the older generation are aware of the animal. The highland mangabey is extremely rare and critically endangered, with an estimated total population of between 500 and 1,000 animals. According to Davenport, the Southern Highland forests, including those of Mt. Rungwe and Kitulo, are highly degraded by illegal logging, and without prompt action the animal's future is uncertain.
Dr. Davenport was born in Manchester, UK and received a BSc and Phd in zoology from the University of Leeds. He has worked in over 70 African forests and has been directly involved in the designation of new national parks on both sides of the continent. Dr. Davenport has written and published almost 100 papers, reports and popular articles on subjects ranging from national conservation priorities to invertebrate biology. He joined WCS and moved to Tanzania in 1999. There he set up and now directs the SHCP which carries out research, community conservation initiatives and protected area design and management in threatened habitats across the region.
Since 1895, the Wildlife Conservation Society has worked from their New York based Bronx Zoo headquarters to save wildlife and wild lands throughout the world. Today WCS is at work in 53 nations across Africa, Asia, Latin America and North America, protecting wild landscapes that are home to a vast variety of species.
For more information about Nikon's ongoing support of the Wildlife Conservation Society, please visit http://www.nikonnet.com.
About NikonNet:
NikonNet http://www.nikonnet.com is the web's leading site for photography education, photo sharing and inspiration. NikonNet leverages the resources of parent company Nikon Inc. to offer the most innovative and inspiring educational segments on the Internet. Nikon's suite of websites -- http://www.nikonusa.com, http://www.nikonnet.com, http://www.nikondigital.com, http://www.nikonmall.com and http://www.nikonschool.com -- connects consumers to the company's products and services and links users to the most complete photography education and information community available on the web today.
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