eastern gorilla

American  

[ees-tern guh-ril-uh] / ˈis tərn gəˈrɪl ə /

noun

1. a very large, thick-furred gorilla (Gorilla beringei ) that lives peaceably in stable family groups: its two subspecies, the eastern lowland gorilla and the mountain gorilla, are both critically endangered.

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Etymology

Origin of eastern gorilla

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Mountain gorillas, a subspecies of the eastern gorilla, have longer hair, jaws and teeth than most other species.

From Reuters • Jan. 11, 2018

A surge of illegal hunting has taken the eastern gorilla in the other direction, reducing its numbers to just 5,000 across the globe.

From BBC • Sep. 4, 2016

The eastern gorilla has suffered a 70% population collapse over the past 20 years, primarily due to illegal hunting.

From The Guardian • Sep. 4, 2016

Although Grauer’s and mountain gorilla populations were once connected, years of isolation have left them genetically distinct enough to warrant separate designations as eastern gorilla subspecies.

From New York Times • Apr. 24, 2016

We also compare the western and eastern gorilla species, estimating an average sequence divergence time 1.75 million years ago, but with evidence for more recent genetic exchange and a population bottleneck in the eastern species.

From Nature • Mar. 7, 2012