Western Gorilla
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| Western Gorilla[1] | ||||||||||||||
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| Gorilla gorilla (Savage, 1847) |
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The Western Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) is a great ape and the most populous species of the genus Gorilla.
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[edit] Taxonomy
Nearly all of the individuals of this taxon belong to the Western Lowland Gorilla subspecies (G. g. gorilla) whose population is approximately 350,000 individuals (as per survey results Aug 5, 2008)[citation needed]. There are fewer than 300 of the only other Western Gorilla subspecies, the Cross River Gorilla (G. g. diehli).[3]
[edit] Appearance
The Western Gorilla is lighter in color than its Eastern cousin. The Western Lowland Gorilla can be brown or greyish with a yellowish forehead. It also has an overhanging tip on its nose, which the Eastern Gorilla doesn't have. Males measure 170-183 cm and weigh 140-278 kg. Females measure 140-155 cm and weigh 60-120 kg. The Western Gorilla is more slender then the Eastern Gorilla. The Cross River Gorilla differs from the Western Lowland Gorilla in both skull and tooth dimensions. It is also about 10-15 cm taller and 20–35 kg heavier.
[edit] Overview
The Western Gorilla is an agile climber and is more arboreal than the Eastern Gorilla. It is also more frugivorous and will eat fleshy fruits of almost 100 seasonally fruiting tree species. The Western Gorilla is more difficult to track and study.
The Western Lowland Gorilla subspecies has a small family group compared to other gorillas, averaging 4-8 members. Wild Western Gorillas are known to use tools.[4]
[edit] Status
The World Conservation Union lists the Western Gorilla as critically endangered, the most severe denomination next to global extinction, on its 2007 Red List of Threatened Species. It is thought that the Ebola virus might be depleting Western Gorilla populations to a point where it might become impossible for them to recover.[2]
[edit] 2008 Discovery
In mid 2008, researchers discovered as many as 125,000 previously-undiscovered Gorillas in the Republic of Congo. This discovery could more than double the known population of the animals, though the effect that the discovery will have on the Gorillas' conservation status is currently unknown.[5]
[edit] Evolution
Approximately 2 million years ago (Cenozoic era/tertiary period) this species of gorilla had evolved separately from a common ancestor, with its relative the Eastern gorilla.
[edit] References
- ^ Groves, C. (2005-11-16). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds). ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd edition ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 181-182. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3.
- ^ a b Walsh, P. D., Tutin, C. E. G., Oates, J. F., Baillie, J. E. M., Maisels, F., Stokes, E. J., Gatti, S., Bergl, R. A., Sunderland-Groves, J. & Dunn, A. (2008). Gorilla gorilla. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2008. Retrieved on 4 January 2009.
- ^ "Animal Info - Gorilla". AnimalInfo.org. http://www.animalinfo.org/species/primate/gorigori.htm. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
- ^ "PLOS Journal "First Observation of Tool Use in Wild Gorillas"". Biology.plosjournals.org. 2005-10-01. doi:. http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0030380. Retrieved on 2009-07-03.
- ^ Font size Print E-mail Share 33 Comments (2008-08-05). "Thousands Of Rare Gorillas Found In Congo". Cbsnews.com. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/05/tech/main4321037.shtml. Retrieved on 2009-07-03.
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