Or maybe not so new. This has been floating around for a while, but I just caught wind of it with this recent article in USA Today. Scientists at the Omaha Zoo are testing the DNA and fingerprints of a little studied ape that’s found in a jungle area around the Northern Congo, trying to figure out if it’s a new species of chimp, just a sub-species, or even a hybrid of a chimp and a gorilla. Whatever it is, it’s now a seemingly viable contender, along with the mountain gorilla, for the title of the largest known living primate.
In an area where the nearest gorillas are thousands of miles away, the animal displays a mix of chimp and gorilla-like qualities. Its diet, like a chimp’s, consists mostly of fruits. Its face is like a chimp’s though flatter. Its body is a whole lot larger than a chimp’s, and, with a 14 inch footprint, even bigger than a gorilla’s (who average about 12 in). Because they are too intimidating to have to worry about predators (including poachers) locals call them “lion-killers”. Unlike other chimps who must sleep up in the trees to avoid common predators such as lions, leopards, and hyenas, these ones sleep freely on the ground like gorillas. Some of their behaviors, such as hooting at the rising and setting moon, aren’t characteristic of either species.
The picture on the left is an example of a pretty big chimp. Chimps in the wild average about 100-125 lbs. The picture on the right is one of the mystery Bondo chimps. (the guy to his left weighs 175 lbs). The average gorilla is 300-400 lbs.
Tests so far show its mtDNA looks like a chimp’s, but since that’s only passed down from the mother’s side, further tests could still reveal it as a hybrid.
Gigantism in hybrid species is not unknown. The liger is a cross between a male lion and a female tiger, and it is the largest cat on earth. For a comparison, the Amur tiger is the largest natural cat and weighs 400-600 lbs.(with a record weight of 900 lbs.), while the average male lion weighs 400-500 lbs. Now the average male liger weighs over 900 lbs. and as much as 1400 lbs. (or just shy of half a ton).
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