New orangutan reveals common ancestor

Until 2017, scientists only knew two species of orangutans – Sumatra and Borneo orangutans. But DNA analyses led to the discovery of a third species that lives in the Batang Toru forest in the Tapanuli region of Sumatra. The monkeys are among the biggest newly-discovered animals in recent history.

The study revealed that all modern orangutans descend from one species, which left southern Asia for Sumatra millions of years ago. About 3.3 million years ago, some migrated further to the north, and later, another group of monkeys migrated to Borneo. The Tapanuli orangutans, that live where the original group settled, are the oldest of the three species and the group with the fewest members – only 800 – making the animals a critically endangered species.