Pongo pygmaeus
1
9.9
- noun
- Specialized
- The Pongo pygmaeus is critically endangered due to deforestation and habitat loss.
Examples
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Unlike other great apes, the Pongo pygmaeus spends most of its time in the forest canopy.
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Researchers observed several Pongo pygmaeus individuals swinging through the treetops in Borneo.
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The Pongo pygmaeus is critically endangered.
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Did you know that Pongo pygmaeus can weigh up to 220 pounds?
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The Bornean orangutan, known scientifically as Pongo pygmaeus, is critically endangered due to habitat loss.
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Scientists are studying the behavior of Pongo pygmaeus in the wild to understand its cultural practices.
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Wildlife conservation efforts are focused on protecting Pongo pygmaeus and its rainforest habitat.
Synonyms
24
3.7
A large ape that lives in trees with long arms and red-brown hair from Borneo and Sumatra
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4.6
A large ape with long arms that lives in trees in Borneo and Sumatra
Surface Forms
Morphology
Pongo + pygmaeus
This is a taxonomic binomial formed from the genus name 'Pongo' (orangutan) and the Latin epithet 'pygmaeus' (from 'pygmy' meaning small). If a learner knows both constituents and understands scientific naming, they can infer it denotes a particular species of orangutan, but the Latin epithet and taxonomic convention are not fully transparent to typical B1 learners and do not directly map to the common name 'Bornean orangutan', so the relation is only partly clear.
Etymology
Pongo pygmaeus comes from the Latin-style names early scientists used: Pongo was an old name for an orangutan and pygmaeus means 'small' or 'dwarf'. So the name labels this particular ape species and hints at its relatively smaller size among the great apes.