| Arunachal Macaque | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| Range | Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India. |
| Scientific Classification | |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Primates |
| Family | Cercopithecidae |
| Genus | Macaca |
| Species | Macaca tonkeana |
| Conservation Status | |
 Endangered | |
The Arunachal macaque, (Macaca munzala), is a new species of macaque native to Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India. Its species name comes from munzala ("monkey of the deep forest") as it was called by the Dirang Monpa tribe. It was discovered as a new taxon in 1997 by noted Indian primatologist Anwaruddin Choudhury, but he thought it to be a new subspecies of Tibetan or Pere David's macaque (Macaca thibetana). It was described as a new species in 2004, when a group of scientists from the Nature Conservation Foundation, India reported it. It is the first species of macaque to have been discovered since 1903, when the Indonesian Pagai island macaque was discovered. This monkey was reported on the basis of a good quality photograph as the holotype. In 2011, some researchers suggested on the basis of morphological variation within the Assamese macaque (Macaca assamensis), that it might be better treated as a subspecies.
The Arunachal macaque is compactly built and has a very dark face. It lives at high altitudes, between 2000 m and 3500 m above sea level, making it one of the highest-dwelling primates. It belongs to the Macaca sinica species-group of macaques, along with the Assamese macaque, the Tibetan macaque, the Bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata) and the Toque macaque (Macaca sinica).
The Arunachal macaque is apparently physically similar to the Assam and Tibetan macaques, while genetically closely related to the bonnet macaque of southern India. This is probably the result of convergent evolution, where organisms evolve similar physical features due to similar environmental selection pressure, while genetically they may have different origins. However, its full specific status is not beyond doubt and further research might show it to be a new subspecies of Assamese or Tibetan macaques.
This monkey is severely persecuted in some parts of its known distribution by locals retaliating against crop raiding. Recent surveys suggest this species may be highly endangered in some parts of Arunachal Pradesh.