Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) is an orangutan species endemic to the island of Borneo. It belongs to the only genus of great apes native to Asia and is the largest of the three Pongo species. It has a coarse, reddish coat and up to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) long arms. It is sexually dimorphic — males are larger than females and develop large cheek pads (flanges). The Bornean orangutan inhabits Borneo lowland rain forests and Borneo montane rain forests up to an elevation of 1,500 m (4,900 ft). Its diet includes fruits, seeds, flowers, bird eggs, sap and vines. It is highly intelligent, displaying tool use and distinct cultural patterns. It is listed as Critically Endangered, with deforestation, palm oil plantations, and hunting posing a serious threat to its survival. == Taxonomy == Bornean orangutans diverged from Tapanuli orangutans about 674,000 years ago. The Bornean orangutan and the Sumatran orangutan diverged about 400,000 years ago, with a continued low level of gene flow between them since then. The Bornean orangutan and the Sumatran orangutan were considered merely subspecies until 1996; they were elevated to species following sequencing of their mitochondrial DNA. Tapanuli orangutan was identified as a…