Biodiv Sci ›› 2026, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (3): 25460.  DOI: 10.17520/biods.2025460  cstr: 32101.14.biods.2025460

• Special Feature: The History and Progress of Primate Research in China—In Honor of Jane Goodall • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Research progress of wild Macaca species in China

Dongpo Xia1,2(), Jing Li3(), Jundong Tian4(), Zhonghao Huang5(), Chengfeng Wu6(), Shiwang Chen1,2(), Jinhua Li2,7,8,*()()   

  1. 1 School of Life Sciences and Medical Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
    2 International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Hefei 230601, China
    3 College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
    4 School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
    5 College of Life Sciences, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi 541000, China
    6 National Research Facility for Phenotypic and Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650107, China
    7 School of Resource and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
    8 School of Biology and Food Engineering, Hefei Normal University, Hefei 230601, China
  • Received:2025-11-15 Accepted:2026-03-17 Online:2026-03-20 Published:2026-04-09
  • Contact: *E-mail: jhli@ahu.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(32370533);National Natural Science Foundation of China(32370535);National Natural Science Foundation of China(32070455);National Natural Science Foundation of China(31600304)

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Abstract:

Background China is one of the countries with the richest species diversity of non-human primates. The genus Macaca, which constitutes the predominant group of extant primates in China, stands out as the most widely distributed, highly adaptable, and numerically abundant group of the Old World monkeys. A total of eight wild Macaca species have been recorded in China. These species play a pivotal role in maintaining the balance of regional ecosystems and serve as invaluable resources for research in animal behavior, social evolution, disease models, and human origins.

Progress With a long-standing tradition and strong scientific capacity in wild macaque research, Chinese primatologists have made significant contributions to behavioral ecology and phylogenetic evolution. The field has progressed from preliminary ecological descriptions to precise behavioral quantification, while simultaneously shifting from macro-level descriptive analysis to multi-scale, integrative investigation. These continued efforts have produced substantial results, steadily deciphering the complexities of macaque social systems. In this paper, taking Macaca thibetana, M. mulatta, and M. assamensis as examples, we reviewed the main findings on taxonomy and distribution, research history, behavioral ecology and molecular biology of wild macaques in China and the major achievements of Chinese primatologists.

Prospects This review provides a scientific basis for comprehensively evaluating threats to Chinese macaques and developing integrated conservation strategies.

Key words: Macaca, species diversity, research history, behavioral ecology, phylogenetic evolution

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