in the second link (in post #1) it says that on one occasion the researchers saw the macaques themselves and took photos with regular cameras.
In the description there is the sentence "We are trying to obtain live specimens so that they can be observed and studied in an appropriate facility and when they die, their skins, skulls, and skeletons will be deposited at Dali University." which may answer the questions more fully.
Regarding the differently-shaped penis, which I think in the absence of actual study of physical specimens can be the only real argument for a separate species (over simple differences in pelage), the description says only "Moreover, there is no inflection between the glans penis and shaft and the glans looks like a ring (based on three photos from only one adult male) rather than exhibiting a sagittate shape which is characteristic of the sinica species group of macaque." and "From the photos it was difficult to see a male's scrotal sac and glans penis except for one adult male and one subadult male. The subadult male's scrotal sac was dark in color or covered by dark hairs, and the shape of his glans was not clear. Based on three higher quality images and a short video taken when an adult male was groomed by a small juvenile (Fig. 6A and B), his scrotal sac either was dark in color or covered by dark hairs, similar in color to his leg (Fig. 6A and B). The glans penis is clearly visible in these photos and it is pink in color. There is no inflection between the glans penis and shaft and the glans looks like a ring (Fig. 6A) rather than a sagittate shape, suggesting that this individual is not a member of the sinica species group [Fooden, 1976, 1982] (Fig. 6C–E). From another three photos taken of the same male when he was standing in front of the camera, he is characterized by a dark scrotal sac and round glans (Fig. 6B)."
Pretty slim if it is based only on camera-trap photos of a single animal!
In the description there is the sentence "We are trying to obtain live specimens so that they can be observed and studied in an appropriate facility and when they die, their skins, skulls, and skeletons will be deposited at Dali University." which may answer the questions more fully.
Regarding the differently-shaped penis, which I think in the absence of actual study of physical specimens can be the only real argument for a separate species (over simple differences in pelage), the description says only "Moreover, there is no inflection between the glans penis and shaft and the glans looks like a ring (based on three photos from only one adult male) rather than exhibiting a sagittate shape which is characteristic of the sinica species group of macaque." and "From the photos it was difficult to see a male's scrotal sac and glans penis except for one adult male and one subadult male. The subadult male's scrotal sac was dark in color or covered by dark hairs, and the shape of his glans was not clear. Based on three higher quality images and a short video taken when an adult male was groomed by a small juvenile (Fig. 6A and B), his scrotal sac either was dark in color or covered by dark hairs, similar in color to his leg (Fig. 6A and B). The glans penis is clearly visible in these photos and it is pink in color. There is no inflection between the glans penis and shaft and the glans looks like a ring (Fig. 6A) rather than a sagittate shape, suggesting that this individual is not a member of the sinica species group [Fooden, 1976, 1982] (Fig. 6C–E). From another three photos taken of the same male when he was standing in front of the camera, he is characterized by a dark scrotal sac and round glans (Fig. 6B)."
Pretty slim if it is based only on camera-trap photos of a single animal!
