What is the key physical characteristic that distinguishes the Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey from Lagothrix lagotricha?

Answer

The presence of prominent yellow or orange tail hairs

The Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey is recognized as distinct from the Common Woolly Monkey primarily due to pronounced morphological differences related to coloration. Specifically, this species exhibits prominent yellow or orange hairs on its tail, which is the defining characteristic that gives the monkey its common name. These distinctive hairs are absent or markedly different in *Lagothrix lagotricha*. This coloration difference, alongside genetic divergence and geographical isolation (endemic to a small area of the Peruvian Andes), has led some taxonomic views to potentially classify it under the separate genus *Oreonax*, indicating a deeper evolutionary split than just a species variation within *Lagothrix*.

What is the key physical characteristic that distinguishes the Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey from Lagothrix lagotricha?

Related Questions

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classificationMonkeyPrimate