Nomascus Explained

Nomascus is the second-most speciose genus of the gibbon family, Hylobatidae. Originally, this genus was a subgenus of Hylobates, with all individuals considered to be one species, H. concolor.

Species within Nomascus are characterized by 52 chromosomes. Some species are all-black, some are a lighter beige or peach hue, with a distinct black tuft of crown fur, while others have notable, light-colored cheek “patches”. Nomascus is endemic from southern China (Yunnan) to southern Vietnam, and can also be found on Hainan. Every species within this genus are either endangered or critically endangered; the Eastern black crested gibbon (Nomascus nasutus) has been deemed "the most-critically endangered ape species in the world".

Classification

• Family Hylobatidae: gibbons
  • Genus Hylobates
  • Genus Hoolock
  • Genus Symphalangus
  • Genus Nomascus
    • Black crested gibbon, Nomascus concolor
      • Tonkin black crested gibbon, Nomascus concolor concolor
      • Laotian black crested gibbon, Nomascus concolor lu
      • Central Yunnan black crested gibbon, Nomascus concolor jingdongensis
      • West Yunnan black crested gibbon, Nomascus concolor furvogaster
    • Eastern black crested gibbon, Nomascus nasutus
    • Hainan black crested gibbon, Nomascus hainanus^[1]
    • Northern white-cheeked gibbon, Nomascus leucogenys
    • Southern white-cheeked gibbon, Nomascus siki
    • Yellow-cheeked gibbon, Nomascus gabriellae
    • Northern buffed-cheeked gibbon, Nomascus annamensis^[2]

External links

• ARKive - images and movies of the black-crested gibbon (Nomascus concolor)
• Photos of gibbons
• Gibbon Conservation Center
• Primate Info Net Hylobates (Nomascus) leucogenys Factsheet

Notes and References

1. Thomas Geissmann. Status reassessment of the gibbons: Results of the Asian Primate Red List Workshop 2006. Gibbon Journal . 3 . April 2007.
2. Van Ngoc Thinh . Alan R. Mootnick . Vu Ngoc Thanh . Tilo Nadler . Christian Roos . A new species of crested gibbon, from the central Annamite mountain range. Vietnamese Journal of Primatology . 2010 . 1 . 4 . 1–12.