Bornean white-bearded gibbon
Encyclopedia
The Bornean white-bearded Gibbon, (Hylobates albibarbis), also known as the Bornean agile Gibbon or Southern Gibbon, is an endangered species
of gibbon
endemic to southern Borneo
, between the Kapuas and Barito rivers.
The Bornean white-bearded gibbon was formerly considered a subspecies
of the agile gibbon
but based on DNA
research, some now classify it as a separate species.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of gibbon
Gibbon
Gibbons are apes in the family Hylobatidae . The family is divided into four genera based on their diploid chromosome number: Hylobates , Hoolock , Nomascus , and Symphalangus . The extinct Bunopithecus sericus is a gibbon or gibbon-like ape which, until recently, was thought to be closely related...
endemic to southern Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, between the Kapuas and Barito rivers.
The Bornean white-bearded gibbon was formerly considered a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the agile gibbon
Agile Gibbon
The agile gibbon , also known as the black-handed gibbon, is an Old World primate in the Hylobatidae or gibbon family, a group also collectively referred to as the "lesser apes"...
but based on DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
research, some now classify it as a separate species.