# Colobinae

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"Langur" redirects here. For other uses, see [other uses](/source/Other_uses).

The **Colobinae** or **leaf-eating monkeys** are a [subfamily](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) of the [Old World monkey](/source/Old_World_monkey) family that includes 61 [species](/source/Species) in 11 [genera](/source/Genus), including the [black-and-white colobus](/source/Black-and-white_colobus), the large-nosed [proboscis monkey](/source/Proboscis_monkey), and the [gray langurs](/source/Gray_langur). Some classifications split the **colobine** monkeys into two tribes, while others split them into three groups. Both classifications put the three African genera *[Colobus](/source/Black-and-white_colobus)*, *[Piliocolobus](/source/Red_colobus)*, and *[Procolobus](/source/Olive_colobus)* in one group; these genera are distinct in that they have stub thumbs, hence their family name, which comes from [Ancient Greek](/source/Ancient_Greek) κολοβός (*kolobós*), meaning "docked". The various Asian genera are placed into another one or two groups. Analysis of [mtDNA](/source/Mitochondrial_DNA) confirms the Asian species form two distinct groups, one of langurs and the other of the "odd-nosed" species, but are inconsistent as to the relationships of the gray langurs; some studies suggest that the gray langurs are not closely related to either of these groups,[2] while others place them firmly within the langur group.[3]

## Characteristics

Colobines are medium-sized [primates](/source/Primate) with long tails (except for the [pig-tailed langur](/source/Pig-tailed_langur)) and diverse colorations. The coloring of nearly all young animals differs remarkably from that of the adults.

Most species are [arboreal](/source/Arboreal), although some live a more [terrestrial](/source/Terrestrial_animal) life. They are found in many different habitats of different climate zones ([rainforests](/source/Rainforest), [mangroves](/source/Mangrove), mountain forests, and [savannah](/source/Savannah)), but not in deserts and other dry areas. They live in groups, but in social forms vary.

Colobines are [folivorous](/source/Folivore), though their diet may be supplemented with flowers, fruits and the occasional insect. To aid in digestion, particularly of hard-to-digest leaves, they have multichambered, complex stomachs, making them the only primates with [foregut fermentation](/source/Foregut_fermentation). Foregut fermenters use bacteria to detoxify plant compounds before reaching the intestine, where toxins can be absorbed. Foregut fermentation is also associated with higher protein extraction and efficient digestion of fiber;[4][5] it is the dominant form of digestions in diverse herbivore taxa, including most Artiodactyla (e.g., deer, cattle, antelope), sloths, and kangaroos. In contrast, lower diversity howler monkeys in the New World rely on hindgut fermentation – occurring lower in the colon or cecum – much like horses and elephants.[4] Unlike the other subfamily of Old World monkeys, the [Cercopithecinae](/source/Cercopithecinae), they do not possess cheek pouches.

In the [silvery lutung](/source/Silvery_lutung) (*Trachypithecus cristatus*) and the [Northern plains gray langur](/source/Northern_plains_gray_langur) (*Semnopithecus entellus*) females begin reproducing after around 3 years of age.[6]

## Classification and evolution

Colobinae is split into two tribes: [Colobini](/source/Colobini), found in Africa, and [Presbytini](/source/Presbytini), found in Asia. Based on fossil records, the tribes split between 10 and 13 million years ago.[7][8] The Colobini tribe contains three genera, black-and-white colobuses, red colobuses, and the olive colobus, all of whom are found in Africa. The Asian Presbytini comprises seven genera split into two clades, the odd-nosed group and the langur group.[7][2] The discordant gene tree topologies and divergence age estimates suggest that hybridization, particularly involving female introgression from *Piliocolobus*/*Procolobus* into *Colobus* and male introgression from *Semnopithecus* into *Trachypithecus*, played a prominent role in shaping the phylogenetic relationships of African and Asian colobine monkeys during their evolutionary history.[3]

The earliest remains of Colobinae are known from the Tugen Hills of Kenya, dating to 12.5 million years ago. The earliest fossils of the genus in Eurasia are those of *[Mesopithecus](/source/Mesopithecus)* found in Greece, dating to around 8.2 million years ago.[9]

- Family [Cercopithecidae](/source/Old_World_monkey)[1][2] - Subfamily [Cercopithecinae](/source/Cercopithecinae) - **Subfamily Colobinae** - Genus *[Mesopithecus](/source/Mesopithecus)* - Tribe [Colobini](/source/Colobini) - Genus *[Colobus](/source/Black-and-white_colobus)* - black-and-white colobus monkeys - Genus *[Piliocolobus](/source/Red_colobus)* - red colobus monkeys - Genus *[Procolobus](/source/Olive_colobus)* - olive colobus - Genus *[Cercopithecoides](/source/Cercopithecoides)* - Tribe [Presbytini](/source/Presbytini) - Langur (leaf monkey) group - Genus *[Trachypithecus](/source/Trachypithecus)* - lutungs - Genus *[Presbytis](/source/Surili)* - surilis - Genus *[Semnopithecus](/source/Gray_langur)* - gray langurs - Odd-nosed group - Genus *[Pygathrix](/source/Douc)* - doucs - Genus *[Rhinopithecus](/source/Snub-nosed_monkey)* - snub-nosed monkeys - Genus *[Nasalis](/source/Proboscis_monkey)* - proboscis monkey - Genus *[Simias](/source/Pig-tailed_langur)* - pig-tailed langur

### Hybrids

Intergeneric [hybrids](/source/Hybrid_(biology)) are known to occur within the subfamily Colobinae. In India, [gray langurs](/source/Gray_langur) (*Semnopithecus* spp.) are known to hybridize with [Nilgiri langurs](/source/Nilgiri_langur) (*Trachypithecus johnii*).[10]

## References

1. Sterner, Kirstin N.; Raaum, Ryan L.; Zhang, Ya-Ping; Stewart, Caro-Beth; Disotell, Todd R. (2006). ["Mitochondrial data support an odd-nosed colobine clade"](http://www.raaum.org/uploads/1/1/7/5/1175545/sterner2006p1532.pdf). *Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution*. **40** (1): 1–7. [Bibcode:2006MolPE..40....1S](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2006MolPE..40....1S). [doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.01.017](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2006.01.017). [PMID 16500120](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16500120). Retrieved 2021-06-19.

1. Osterholz, Martin; Walter, Lutz; Roos, Christian (2008). "Phylogenetic position of the langur genera Semnopithecus and Trachypithecus among Asian colobines, and genus affiliations of their species groups". *BMC Evolutionary Biology*. **8** (1): 58. Springer Nature. [Bibcode:2008BMCEE...8...58O](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2008BMCEE...8...58O). [doi:10.1186/1471-2148-8-58](https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-8-58). [ISSN 1471-2148](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1471-2148). [PMC 2268674](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2268674). [PMID 18298809](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18298809)

1. Edwards, Mark S. & Ullrey, Duane E. (1999). "Effect of dietary fiber concentration on apparent digestibility and digesta passage in non-human primates. II. Hindgut- and foregut-fermenting folivores". *Zoo Biology*. **18** (6): 537–549. [doi:10.1002/(SICI)1098-2361(1999)18:6<537::AID-ZOO8>3.0.CO;2-F](https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1098-2361(1999)18:6%3C537::AID-ZOO8%3E3.0.CO;2-F). [ISSN 1098-2361](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1098-2361)

1. Feldhamer, George A.; Lee C. Drickamer; Stephen H. Vessey (2007). *Mammalogy: Adaptation, Diversity, Ecology*. JHU Press. pp. 128–130. ISBN 978-1-4214-3652-4. [OCLC 1097452280](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1097452280)

1. Dirks, Wendy & Bowman, Jacqui E. (September 2007). ["Life history theory and dental development in four species of catarrhine primates"](https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0047248407001029). *Journal of Human Evolution*. **53** (3): 309–320. [doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.04.007](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.04.007)

1. XiaoPing, Wang (2013). "Summary of phylogeny in subfamily Colobinae (Primate: Cercopithecidae)". *[Chinese Science Bulletin](/source/Chinese_Science_Bulletin)*. **58** (18): 2097–2103. [Bibcode:2013ChSBu..58.2097W](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013ChSBu..58.2097W). [doi:10.1007/s11434-012-5624-y](https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-012-5624-y)

1. Perelman, Polina; Johnson, Warren E.; Roos, Christian; Seuánez, Hector N.; Horvath, Julie E.; Moreira, Miguel A. M. et al. (17 March 2011). "A Molecular Phylogeny of Living Primates". *PLOS Genetics*. **7** (3). [doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1001342](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1001342). [PMC 3060065](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3060065). [PMID 21436896](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21436896)

1. Frost, Stephen R.; Gilbert, Christopher C.; Nakatsukasa, Masato (2022-02-28), ["The Colobine Fossil Record"](https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/9781108347150%23CN-bp-3/type/book_part), *The Colobines*, 1 ed., Matsuda, Ikki (ed.), Cambridge University Press, pp. 13–31, [doi:10.1017/9781108347150.004](https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108347150.004). ISBN 978-1-108-34715-0, retrieved 2024-08-25

1. Rowe, N. (1996). [*The Pictorial Guide to the Living Primates*](https://archive.org/details/pictorialguideto0000rowe). Pogonias Press. pp. [139](https://archive.org/details/pictorialguideto0000rowe/page/139), 143, 154, 185, 223. ISBN 978-0-9648825-0-8.

Roos, Christian, et al. "Nuclear Versus Mitochondrial DNA: Evidence for Hybridization in Colobine Monkeys." BMC Evolutionary Biology, vol. 11, no. 1, 2011, pp. 77–77, [https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-11-77](https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-11-77).

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Colobinae](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colobinae) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colobinae?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.