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Which four chimpanzee subspecies are recognized?

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The common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) is recognized as having four distinct subspecies:1

  • Central African chimpanzee (P. troglodytes troglodytes), also known as the tschego1
  • West African chimpanzee (P. troglodytes verus), also known as the masked chimpanzee1
  • East African chimpanzee (P. troglodytes schweinfurthii), also known as the long-haired chimpanzee1
  • Nigerian-Cameroon chimpanzee (P. troglodytes ellioti), formerly classified as P. troglodytes vellerosus1

It is important to note that the bonobo (P. paniscus) is a separate species and is not considered a subspecies of the chimpanzee.1