Mangabey
Encyclopedia
The term mangabey can refer to three different genera
of Old World monkey
s. Lophocebus and Cercocebus were once thought to be very closely related, so much so that all the species were in one genus. However, it is now understood that Lophocebus species are more closely related to the baboon
s in genus Papio, while the Cercocebus species are more closely related to the Mandrill
. The single species in Rungwecebus was discovered recently.
The three genera of mangabeys are:
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of Old World monkey
Old World monkey
The Old World monkeys or Cercopithecidae are a group of primates, falling in the superfamily Cercopithecoidea in the clade Catarrhini. The Old World monkeys are native to Africa and Asia today, inhabiting a range of environments from tropical rain forest to savanna, shrubland and mountainous...
s. Lophocebus and Cercocebus were once thought to be very closely related, so much so that all the species were in one genus. However, it is now understood that Lophocebus species are more closely related to the baboon
Baboon
Baboons are African and Arabian Old World monkeys belonging to the genus Papio, part of the subfamily Cercopithecinae. There are five species, which are some of the largest non-hominoid members of the primate order; only the mandrill and the drill are larger...
s in genus Papio, while the Cercocebus species are more closely related to the Mandrill
Mandrill
The mandrill is a primate of the Old World monkey family, closely related to the baboons and even more closely to the drill. Both the mandrill and the drill were once classified as baboons in genus Papio, but recent research has determined they should be separated into their own genus, Mandrillus...
. The single species in Rungwecebus was discovered recently.
The three genera of mangabeys are:
- Lophocebus, the crested mangabeyCrested mangabeyThe crested mangabeys are West-African Old World monkeys, belonging to the genus Lophocebus. They tend to have dark skin, eyelids that match their facial skin, and crests of hair on their heads. Another genus of mangabeys, Cercocebus, was once thought to be very closely related, so much so that all...
s - Rungwecebus, the highland mangabeyKipunjiThe kipunji is a species of Old World monkey that lives in the highland forests of Tanzania. It is the only member of its genus. Also known as the highland mangabey, it is about three feet long and has long brown fur, which stands in tufts on the sides and top of its head. Its face and eyelids...
- Cercocebus, the white-eyelid mangabeyWhite-eyelid mangabeyThe white-eyelid mangabeys are African Old World monkeys, belonging to the genus Cercocebus. They are characterized by their bare upper eyelids which are lighter than their facial skin colouring, and the uniformly coloured hairs of the fur...
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