An extraordinary 224 new species of vascular plants and vertebrate animals were discovered in the Greater Mekong region in 2020. Among the species newly described by researchers in 2020 are 155 plants, 16 fishes, 17 amphibians, 35 reptiles, and one mammal. This new primate, the Popa langur (Trachypithecus popa), with its distinctive set of markings, was discovered in central Myanmar.
The discovery of new species year after year highlights the importance of the remaining natural ecosystems and the continued interest of biological explorers in the Greater Mekong. The Popa langur has been proposed for listing as Critically Endangered on IUCN’s Red List due to its small population size and the dramatic habitat loss in its range over the past century.
