Thursday 24 September 2026 · Edition of the day

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The Skeptic's Daily

The day's biggest stories, taken apart. For each one: what is actually established, what is only asserted, the questions worth asking — and a plausibility score for the central claim, given everything currently known.

Stories
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Average plausibility
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It rates how well the core claim is evidenced — not how important the story is, nor whether it is good or bad news.
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01ScienceAfrica

New colobus monkey species described in DR Congo's rainforest

Likweli, a colobus monkey with distinctive orange lips, has been described as new to science.

A research team including Junior Amboko and anthropologist Kate Detwiler described a new monkey species, Likweli, in DR Congo's rainforest, combining genetic, anatomical and acoustic analysis. Researchers say its lineage split from Colobus satanas roughly four to five million years ago.

What holds up

  • ✓The species has been named and described by a named research team.
  • ✓Genetic analysis distinguishes it from the closely related Colobus satanas.

What doesn't yet

  • ?The divergence date depends on molecular-clock assumptions not detailed in the report.
  • ?The claim that only five new African monkeys have been described in 75 years comes from the researchers themselves.

Ask before you share

  • →Has the description passed independent peer review?
  • →How large is the population, and is it threatened?
  • →How is habitat loss affecting its range?

Sources & original reporting

  1. [1]Breaking Kenya News · Published 23 Sept 2026 · breakingkenyanews.com