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Colobinae

(Subfamily)

Overview

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Colobinae (also called Leaf Monkey) is a subfamily of the Old World monkey family that includes 59 species in 10 genera, including the skunk-like black-and-white colobus, the large-nosed proboscis monkey, and the gray langurs. Some classifications split the colobine monkeys into two tribes, while others split them into three groups. Both classifications put the three African genera Colobus, Piliocolobus, and Procolobus in one group; these genera are distinct in that they have a stub thumb. The various Asian genera are placed into another one or two groups. Analysis of mtDNA confirms that the Asian species form two distinct groups, one of langurs and the other of the "odd-nosed" species, but suggests that the gray langurs are not closely related to either.2]

Characteristics

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Colobines are med ium-sized primates with long tails and diverse colorations. The coloring of nearly all the young animals differs remarkably from that of the adults.

Most species are arboreal, although some live a more terrestrial life. They are found in many different habitats of different climate zones (rain forests, mangroves, mountain forests, and savanah), but not in deserts and other dry areas. They live in groups, but in different group forms.

They are almost exclusively herbivores, predominantly nourishing themselves on leaves, flowers, and fruits. They occasionally eat insects and other small animals. To aid in digestion, particularly of hard-to-digest leaves, they have a multi-chambered, complex stomach. Unlike the other subfamily of Old World monkeys, the Cercopithecinae, they possess no cheek pouches.

Gestation averages six to seven months. Young are weaned for approximately one year and are mature at 3 to 6 years. Their life expectancy is approximately 20 years.

Classification

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Hybrids

Intergeneric hybrids are known to occur within the Colobinae subfamily. In India, gray langurs (Semnopithecus sp) are known to hybridize with Nilgiri langurs (Trachypithecus johnii).[3]

e expectancy is approximately 20 years.

Classification

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Hybrids

Intergeneric hybrids are known to occur within the Colobinae subfamily. In India, gray langurs (Semnopithecus sp) are known to hybridize with Nilgiri langurs (Trachypithecus johnii).[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b Groves, Colin P. (16 November 2005). "SUBFAMILY Colobinae". In Wilson, Don E., and Reeder, DeeAnn M., eds. < a href="http://google.com/books?id=JgAMbNSt8ikC&pg=PA167?178">Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 167?178. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?id=12100596. 
  2. ^ a b Sterner, Kirstin N.; Raaum, Ryan L.; Zhang, Ya-Ping; Stewart, Caro-Beth & Disotell, Todd R. (2006). "Mitochondrial data support an odd-nosed colobine clade". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 40 (1): 1?7. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.01.017. PMID 16500120. http://locomotive.raaum.org/pdfs/Sterner2006a.pdf. 
  3. ^ Rowe, N. (1996). The Pictorial Guide to the Living Primates. Pogonias Press. pp. 139, 143, 154, 185, 223. ISBN 0-9648825-0-7. 

Taxonomy

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The Subfamily Colobinae is a member of the Family Cercopithecidae. Here is the complete "parentage" of Colobinae:

The Subfamily Colobinae is further organized into finer groupings including:

Genera

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Cercopithecoides

[more]

Colobus

Black-and-white colobuses (or colobi) are Old World monkeys of the genus Colobus, native to Africa. They are closely related to the brown colobus monkeys of genus Piliocolobus. The word "colobus" comes from Greek ??????? kolob?s ("maimed"), and is so named because its thumb is a stump. [more]

Dolichopithecus

Libypithecus

Mesopithecus

Nasalis

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[1] [more]

Paracolobus

Piliocolobus

Red colobuses are Old World monkeys of the subgenus Piliocolobus in genus Procolobus. Some authors elevate Piliocolobus to a full genus, limiting Procolobus to the olive colobus. They are closely related to the black-and-white colobus monkeys (genus Colobus) and some species are often found in groups with the blue monkey. The western red colobus is frequently hunted by the common chimpanzee. [more]

Presbytis

The surilis are a group of Old World monkeys and make up the entirety of the genus Presbytis. They live in the Thai-Malay Peninsula, on Sumatra, Borneo, Java and smaller nearby islands. [more]

Procolobus

Procolobus is the genus of the red colobus monkeys and the olive colobus. Some authorities restrict the genus Procolobus to the olive colobus, placing the remaining in Piliocolobus. They are found in Africa where almost entirely restricted to forests (only the Zanzibar red colobus prefers more shrubby habitats). They are mainly folivorous and most of the species are threatened. [more]

Pygathrix

The doucs or douc langurs make up the genus Pygathrix, which consists of these 3 species: [more]

Rhinopithecus

Snub-nosed monkeys are a group of Old World monkeys and make up the entirety of the genus Rhinopithecus. The genus occurs rarely and needs much more research. Some taxonomists group snub-nosed monkeys together with the Pygathrix genus. [more]

Semnopithecus

Gray langurs or Hanuman langurs, the most widespread langurs of South Asia, are a group of Old World monkeys constituting the entirety of the genus Semnopithecus. All taxa have traditionally been placed in the single species Semnopithecus entellus. In 2001, it was recommended that several distinctive former subspecies should be given full species status, so that seven species are recognized. A taxonomic classification with fewer species has also been proposed. Genetic evidence suggests that the Nilgiri langur and purple-faced langur, which usually are placed in the genus Trachypithecus, actually belong in Semnopithecus. [more]

Simias

The pig-tailed langur (Simias concolor, monotypic in genus Simias) is a large, rather heavily built Old World monkey, which is adapted to climbing with its long arms. Its fur is black-brown, and its hairless face is also black. It is the only monkey in the subfamily Colobinae to have a relatively short tail; the tail is only slightly furred and is only 15 cm long. The short nose is pointed upward. The pig-tailed langur reaches a full grown length of approximately 50 cm and a weight of 7 kg. Traditionally, it has been placed in the genus Nasalis together with the proboscis monkey - a treatment still preferred by some. [more]

Trachypithecus

The lutungs are a group of Old World monkeys and make up the entirety of the genus Trachypithecus. Their range is split into two parts; one part is much of southeast Asia (northeast India, southern China, Borneo, Thailand, Java and Bali), the other part is extreme southern India and Sri Lanka. The greater part of India has lutungs. Most of the species in this genus can be referred to as lutungs, as langurs, or as leaf monkeys. [more]

At least 51 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Trachypithecus.

More info about the Genus Trachypithecus may be found here.

References

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  1. ^ a b Groves, Colin P. (16 November 2005). "SUBFAMILY Colobinae". In Wilson, Don E., and Reeder, DeeAnn M., eds. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 167?178. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?id=12100596. 
  2. ^ a < sup>b Sterner, Kirstin N.; Raaum, Ryan L.; Zhang, Ya-Ping; Stewart, Caro-Beth & Disotell, Todd R. (2006). "Mitochondrial data support an odd-nosed colobine clade". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 40 (1): 1?7. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.01.017. PMID 16500120. http://locomotive.raaum.org/pdfs/Sterner2006a.pdf. 
  3. ^ Rowe, N. (1996). The Pictorial Guide to the Living Primates. Pogonias Press. pp. 139, 143, 154, 185, 223. ISBN 0-9648825-0-7. 

Footnotes

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  1. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=109041

Sources

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Last Revised: August 24, 2012
2012/08/24 13:47:14