NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Hainan Crested Gibbon
Nomascus hainanus (Thomas, 1892)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Locomotor modes of Hainan gibbons using a canopy bridge. (a) climbing (handrailing); (b) climbing (underneath); (c) walking; (d) brachiation.
Camera trap photographs taken by Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden. · CC BY 4.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Hainan black-crested gibbon (Nomascus hainanus), also called the Hainan gibbon, is a Critically Endangered species of gibbon found only on Hainan Island, in the South China Sea. Its habitat consists of broad-leaved forests and semi-deciduous monsoon forests. It feeds on ripe, sugar-rich fruit, such as figs and, at times, leaves, and insects.
Wikipedia contributors, Hainan black crested gibbon; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T09:11:13.770622+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Nomascus hainanus (Thomas, 1892)
- Name authority
- (Thomas, 1892)
- Common name
- Hainan Crested Gibbon
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Primates
- Family
- Hylobatidae
- Genus
- Nomascus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderPrimates Linnaeus, 1758
- suborderHaplorrhini Pocock, 1918
- infraorderSimiiformes Haeckel, 1866
- superfamilyHominoidea Gray, 1825
- familyHylobatidae Gray, 1871
- genusNomascus Miller, 1933
- speciesNomascus hainanus (Thomas, 1892)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Nomascus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Yellow-cheeked Crested GibbonNomascus annamensis Thinh, Mootnick, Thanh, Nadler & Roos, 2010 | HylobatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Eastern Black Crested GibbonNomascus nasutus (Kunkel d'Herculais, 1884) | HylobatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Black Crested GibbonNomascus concolor (Harlan, 1826) | HylobatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Buff-cheeked GibbonNomascus gabriellae (Thomas, 1909) | HylobatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Northern White-cheeked Crested GibbonNomascus leucogenys (Ogilby, 1840) | HylobatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Southern White-cheeked Crested GibbonNomascus siki (Delacour, 1951) | HylobatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=944288 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:47NQN. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.