Mysore, Malabar Slender Lorises separate species: CCMB

The study conducted by senior CCMB researcher Dr Govindhaswamy Umapathy’s lab was published in the peer-reviewed journal, The Journal of Threatened Taxa

Hyderabad: For the first time in the country, researchers from the Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) have sequenced the entire genome of lesser-known but critically endangered species of Mysore Slender Loris and Malabar Slender Loris. In the process, they have concluded that both, due to their genetically diverse nature, must be treated as separate species from the Grey Slender Loris.

The study conducted by senior CCMB researcher Dr Govindhaswamy Umapathy’s lab was published in the peer-reviewed journal, The Journal of Threatened Taxa (September 2023).

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In the study, Umapathy’s lab found that the Mysore Slender Loris and Malabar Slender Loris, which are currently considered as sub-species of the Grey Slender Loris, differ by about 2 per cent genetically and diverged from each other about 1.09 million years ago. Senior geneticists from the CCMB have said treating both the lorises as distinct species is very important for conservation measures of the critically threatened genus of animals.

Recently, recognising the need to protect the species, the Centre notified exclusive conservation reserves for the threatened Slender Loris. “Slender lorises are a threatened genus of small and nocturnal primates confined to India and Sri Lanka. The Grey Slender Loris is divided into several subspecies based on morphological variation and geographical distribution but not supported by molecular data,” the CCMB researchers said, adding that the study was an attempt to investigate the phylogenetic (evolutionary development and diversification) of the two sub-species from the Grey Slender Loris in South India.

Phylogenetic analysis has clearly shown that the Mysore and Malabar Slender Lorises form distinct monophyletic clades that diverged about 1.049 million years ago, shortly after the divergence of the Red Slender Loris Loris Tardigradus.

“As a result of the genetic variation, evolutionary divergence, already established morphological differences and geographically distinct habits, we propose to recognise the Mysore and Malabar Slender Lorises as two distinct species,” the researchers led by Umapathy said.