Summary of phylogeny in subfamily Colobinae (Primate: Cercopithecidae)

Abstract

The phylogeny of the colobine monkeys has a complex evolutionary history, evolving several distinct radiations and owned a wide range of forest and woodland habits in tropical Africa and in southern and eastern Asia. Understanding the true evolutionary history of the colobine monkeys becomes an important field and has received special attention. In this article, we review phylogeny of Colobinae based on previous fossil, cytological, morphological and molecular evidence and indicate the phylogenetic controversies. This review is expected to guide the future research of Colobinae phylogeny, and also provide theoretic evidence for the conservation of these highly endangered and unique primates. © 2013 The Author(s).