Newest snub-nosed monkey

Named after their extremely short, upturned noses, Asian in occurrence, and belonging to the genus Rhinopithecus, four of the five species of snub-nosed monkey had been known to science since at least 1912. So it came as a great surprise when a fifth, hitherto-unknown but very distinctive species was discovered in Myanmar (Burma) as recently as 2010. Formally described and named the Myanmar snub-nosed monkey R. strykeri in 2011, honouring philanthropist Jon Stryker (whose Arcus Foundation sponsored the Myanmar Primate Conservation Programme that discovered this new species), it is predominantly black-furred but has white ear-tufts, a white chin-beard, and a white upper-lip moustache of facial hair. The remainder of its face is unfurred with pink skin.

This species is popularly dubbed the sneezing monkey because its nostrils are so upturned that when the weather is rainy, raindrops falling into its nose make it sneeze uncontrollably. Consequently, whenever possible, it tends to sit with its head bowed down between its knees during a bout of rain in order to avoid water entering its nose.