ABSTRACT
Guenon taxonomy has been in flux for some time now, as Cercopithecus has undergone a series of splits. First there was general agreement on separating the patas species from others as Erythrocebus, and it seems that the same has happened to the vervets. The descriptions of primate behavior are arranged under four headings: ecology, sociality, life cycle, and cognition. The one-male troops typical of forest guenons resemble those of colobines in that the adult male tends to be peripheral and most adult interactions outside the mating season are between females. These are generally affiliative, mainly grooming. Blue monkeys have been studied more extensively than any other forest guenons. Patas monkeys and vervets have gone further than other guenons in adapting to terrestrial behavior and relatively open country. Patas typically live in one-male troops. Multi-male troops are common among vervets, but exceptions suggest that this is the result of environmental constraints.
