 In 1998 , the journal African Primates published three papers by primatologists on the false potto . Colin Groves affirmed that it was probably distinct from the potto and Simon Bearder cited it as an example of unrecognized taxonomic diversity in lorisids , but Esteban Sarmiento compared the new taxon to specimens of the potto and found that the alleged distinctive traits of the false potto in fact fell within the range of variation of the potto , and that the false potto was probably not even a species distinct from Perodicticus potto . In 2000 , primatologist B.S. Leon agreed that the false potto was not distinct from the subspecies Perodicticus potto potto , but noted that various forms of potto were distinct enough from each other that there may indeed be more than one species of potto . Opinions since then have been divided : a 2003 compilation of African primate diversity concluded that there was insufficient evidence that the false potto is a distinct species , the primate chapter of the 2005 third edition of Mammal Species of the World , written by Groves , listed Pseudopotto as a genus but noted that it was " controversial " ; and Schwartz continued to recognize the false potto as a genus in 2005 . Also in 2005 , primatologist David Stump reviewed some of the distinguishing features of Pseudopotto in the context of studying variation among pottos , and found that some but not all of the false potto 's traits were found in some pottos , mainly western populations ( subspecies potto ) . 
