Mangabeys
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| Mangabeys | ||||||||||||||
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| Missing image GreycheekedmangabeyJPG.jpg juvenile Grey-cheeked Mangabey | ||||||||||||||
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Lophocebus albigena |
Mangabeys are West-African monkeys, belonging to the either of the genera Cercocebus and Lophocebus. The two genera were once thought to be very closely related, so much so that all the species were in one genera. However, it is now understood that Lophocebus species are more closely related to the baboons in genus Papio, while the Cercocebus species are more closely related to the Mandrill.
The more typical representatives of Cercocebus, also known as the white-eyelid mangabeys, are characterized by their bare, upper eye-lids which are lighter than their facial skin colouring, and the uniformly coloured hairs of the fur. Members of Lophocebus, the crested mangabeys, tend to have dark skin, eyelids that match their facial skin, and crests of hair on their heads.