Macaque China reported in the journal "Cell" the creation of two crab-eating macaque monkey clones, named "Zhong Zhong" and "Hua Hua", using the complex DNA transfer method that produced "Dolly" the sheep, for the first time. As of 2005, the authors of "Mammal Species of the World" recognized the following species and species groups, aside from the white-cheeked macaque which was described in 2015: Later studies disputed some of the species groupings. For example, Li, "et al", based on DNA testing, do not recognize the "M. fascularis" group. Rather, they place the crab-eating macaque within the "M. mulatta" group and the
Crab-eating macaque of populations due to increased wild trade and rising levels of human-macaque conflict, which are reducing overall population levels despite the species being widely distributed. Each subspecies faces differing levels of threats, and too little information is available on some subspecies to assess their conditions. The "M. f. umbrosa" subspecies is likely of important biological significance and has been recommended as a candidate for protection in the Nicobar Islands, where its small, native population has been seriously fragmented, and is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. The Philippine long-tailed macaque ("M. f. philippensis") is listed as near threatened,