Abstract
Gibbons or small apes constitute the primate family Hylobatidae and are, besides the great apes, humans’ closest living relatives. Due to an increase in studies on wild and captive gibbons in the past decade, our knowledge on this enigmatic primate group has increased tremendously. Accordingly, we learned that the gibbon family is more diverse than previously known even just two decades ago. Today, four genera, 19 species and a total of 25 taxa are recognized. In tandem with changes in the understanding of the hylobatid family tree, our views on the evolutionary history of gibbons has changed dramatically. Although, even with the help of advanced molecular methods we are still unable to provide a complete picture of their phylogeny. The aim of this book chapter is to give an overview about the current taxonomy of gibbons and about our knowledge on the phylogenetic relationships among gibbon genera and species.
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