Ang unggoy sa loys, o Ameranthropoides loysi (dili opisyal), maoy usa ka katingad-an nga binuhat nga susama sa usa ka unggoy nga gipusil patay sa Swiss geologist nga si François de Loys niadtong 1917 sa utlanan tali sa Venezuela ug Colombia. Ang binuhat susama sa usa ka hominid, walay ikog sama sa unggoy, adunay 32 ka ngipon, ug nagbarog tali sa 1.60 ug 1.65 metros ang gitas-on.
François de Loys was leading an oil exploration expedition near the Tarra and Maracaibo Rivers when two creatures approached their group. Loys fired at the creatures in an attempt to defend themselves. The male fled into the jungle, and the female was killed by a car. The creature was photographed, and de Loys saved the images.
When François de Loys returned to Switzerland, he told no one about the creature. However, in 1929, Swiss French anthropologist George Montadon discovered the photo while looking for information in Loys’ notes on indigenous tribes in South America and convinced Loys to publish it in an English newspaper.
Daghang mga papel bahin sa misteryosong binuhat ang gipatik sa ulahi sa France, ug gisugyot ni George Montadon ang siyentipikong ngalan niini sa French Academy of Sciences.
Apan, Montandon’s scientific description of the species as Ameranthropoides loysi (de Loys’ American human-like ape) was met with harsh criticisms. According to British naturalist Sir Arthur Keith, the photograph only depicted a species of spider monkey, ateles belzebuth, native to the explored region, with its tail intentionally cut off or hidden in the photograph.
Ang mga spider monkey kasagaran sa South America, nga nagbarug nga hapit 110cm (3.5 ka pye) ang gitas-on kung tindog. Si De Loys, sa laing bahin, misukod sa iyang unggoy sa 157cm (5 ka tiil) – mas dako pa kay sa tanang nailhang espisye.
Montandon was enthralled by the ape. He proposed the name Ameranthropoides loysi in three separate articles for scientific journals. However, mainstream researchers were sceptical from every angle in this case.
Ang mga historyador nga si Pierre Centlivres ug Isabelle Girod nagpatik sa usa ka artikulo niadtong 1998 nga nag-angkon nga ang tibuok nga istorya sa katingad-an nga engkwentro usa ka paglimbong nga gihimo sa antropologo nga si Montandon tungod sa iyang rasista nga panglantaw sa ebolusyon sa tawo.
Kinsa kining tawhana ni de Loys, ug unsay iyang pamatuod nga ang unggoy dili lang usa ka unggoy sa kaka? Sigurado ba siya nga ang litrato gikuha sa South America?
That is one of the mysteries. Aside from the question of what kind of primate de Loys’ ape is, if it is an ape, is it a South American ape? There are no native apes in the Americas, only monkeys. Africa is home to chimps, gorillas, and bonobos, while Asia is home to orangutans, gibbons, and siamangs. If de Loys indeed discovered a previously unknown ape in South America, it would fundamentally alter our understanding of ape evolution.
