Primates such as monkeys, gorillas, and lemurs are now under a dangerous threat of disappearing due to human activities, according to a new study. Scientists say that about 60 percent of more than 500 primate species are now "threatened with extinction" with three out of four species decreasing in population.
According to Paul Garber from the University of Illinois, this is a "bigger wake up call" than previously thought as this primate decline is blamed on human activities such as hunting, mining, and drilling for oil. Primate habitats are also destroyed by farmlands, logging, and ranching in Africa, Asia, and South America.
Scientists continue to study primates such as apes and monkeys to gain a better understanding of human evolution and human behavior since we originate from an ancient line of primates.
According to this new study, primates face habitat loss which leads to further population decline. Researchers studied Grauer's gorilla. T species is suffering from extinction threats as its populations has dropped from 17,000 in 1995 to only 3,800. They are mostly hunted for meat and also face habitat loss due to mining.
In Asia, there are now only 14,000 orangutans left in Sumatra, Indonesia, and in China. Also, there are now only 25 Hainan gibbons in existence. Meanwhile, 22 out of 26 primate species in China are now considered to be endangered, according to Garber.
The hardest hit of all the primate species are the lemurs, as 94 percent of lemur species in the world are now endangered especially those native to Madagascar.
"We need to monitor and consider these population losses as important signals telling us something about the future, as this is a critical world problem," Garber stated.
This new study was published in the journal Science Advances.