Bennet, 1832
General characteristics
The genus Propithecus is traditionally grouped into two species: Propithecus verreauxi (Grandidier pl04)and Propithecus diadema (Grandidier pl01). These two species consist themselves of several subspecies, whose distribution covers almost all forests of Madagascar (Map Propithecus). A third species is recently described: Propithecus tattersalli.
The variations of the two species, Propithecus verreauxi and Propithecus diadema, living respectively in the West and the East of the island, are already studied in detail by different authors. Grandidier, 1875 described in the 'Histoire naturelle et politique de Madagascar' the most important anatomic differences and wide chromatic variability within the species (Paintings in Historical Books). Other authors like Kaudern, 1915; G. Grandidier and Petit, 1932 and Paulian, 1953 added their observations. It is possible that the forms of the East, the West and the South originate from a primitive form, which lived in past times on the central plateau.
Systematics
Among the Indriidae, the genus Propithecus is well defined by its size that is intermediate between the genera Avahi and Indri. The generic names Macromerus A. Smith, 1833 and Indris Vinson, 1862 are synonyms for Propithecus.
The body size of P. verreauxi is clearly smaller than the size of P. diadema.
In conformity with the variation in pelage coloration, each of the two species is classically divided into five different populations or subspecies. The new species P. tattersalli, which closest resembles P. verreauxi by its size, is well distinguishable by its color.
List of (sub)species names:
- Propithecus verreauxi
Propithecus Verreauxi (Grandidier pl04) A. Grandidier, 1867, Rev. Mag. Zool. ser. 2, 19: 84-88. ('contrées arides et sablonneuses où habitent les Antandrouïs, les Mahfales et les Antitènes').
Type specimen: 'Tsifanihy', north of 'Cap Sainte-Marie' (Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris). - Rode, 1939: 442, no. 148.
- Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi A. Grandidier, 1867, Rev. Mag. Zool. ser. 2, 19: 84-88.
- Propithecus verreauxi majori
Propithecus majori W. Rothschild, 1894, Novit. Zool., 1, p. 666, pl. 14. ('Antinosy [Antanosy] country in southwest Madagascar')
Type specimen: Region Antanosy (J.T. Last, 1889) (ex. coll. Tring Museum, British Museum, Natural History).
- Propithecus verreauxi deckeni
Propithecus Deckeni Peters, 1870, Monatsber. K. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin: 421.
Type specimen: Kanatsy, northwest of Madagascar (van der Decken) (Zoologisches Museum, Humboldt Universität, Berlin).
- Propithecus verreauxi coronatus
Propithecus coronatus (Grandidier pl07) A. Milne-Edwards, 1871, Revue Scient. Paris : 222-227. - Rode, 1939: 443, no. 150a.
Synonym: damanus Schlegel, 1876 with type: Southern river of the bay of Bombetoka, northwest of Madagascar (D. van Dam) (Zoologisches Museum, Humboldt Universität, Berlin, according to Schwarz, 1931: 423).
- Propithecus verreauxi coquereli
Propithecus Coquereli (Grandidier pl06) A. Milne-Edwards, 1867, In : Grandidier, A., 1867. Revue Mag. Zool . ser. 2, 19: 313-321.
Type specimen: A young individual of the Northeast of Madagascar (Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris). - Rode, 1939: 443, no. 149.
- Propithecus diadema Bennet, 1832, Proc. Zool. Soc. London : 20.
Type specimen: Sub-adult male (British Museum, Natural History).
- Propithecus diadema diadema Bennet, 1832, Proc. Zool. Soc. London : 20.
Type specimen: Sub-adult male (British Museum, Natural History).
- Propithecus diadema edwardsi
Propithecus Edwardsi (Grandidier pl03) A. Grandidier, 1871, C. r. hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci., Paris 72: 231-232.
Type specimen: Coming from Madindro in the east of Madagascar (Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris).
- Propithecus diadema perrieri
Propithecus Perrieri Lavauden, 1931, C. r. hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci., Paris 193 (1): 77-79.
Type specimen: Male collected in the forest of Analamerana, 80 km. southwest of Diégo-Suarez (Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris).
- Propithecus diadema holomelas
Propithecus holomelas Günther, 1875, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 4, 16, p. 125 ('Fienerentsoa [Fianarantsoa]').
Type specimen: Female collected by Crossley (British Museum, Natural History).
- Propithecus diadema candidus
Propithecus candidus A. Grandidier, 1871, C. r. hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci., Paris 72: 231-232.
Type specimen: Coming from Sambava, at the coast northeast of Madagascar.
A. Grandidier, 1875 separated the subspecies P. v. coronatus of the verreauxi group to make a third species: Propithecus coronatus, based on differences in the skull (great enlargement of the muzzle and prolongation of the nasal bones extending to the upper incisors due to the presence of an very large, facial sinus situated in and at the anterior edges of the maxillary bones). However it seems, after extensive measurements of the bodies of numerous specimen by Kaudern, 1915, that it might be preferable to link this form with P. verreauxi, although it is slightly less related. Besides, the two subspecies P. v. coronatus and P. v. deckeni have quite comparable skulls. A distinct hump at the upper part of their nose can be distinguished, which gives the heads of living animals a characteristic aspect.
In fact P. v. majori is only a variety of P. v. verreauxi, like P. v. deckeni and P. v. coronatus appear to be, according to some scientists.
Within Propithecus diadema, P. d. holomelas also seems only to be a variety of P. d. edwardsi.
Therefor, it is probably grounded to acknowledge only four subspecies per species.