Pitheciidae

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Pitheciidae[1]
White-faced Saki (Pithecia pithecia)
White-faced Saki (Pithecia pithecia)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Haplorrhini
Infraorder: Simiiformes
Parvorder: Platyrrhini
Family: Pitheciidae
Mivart, 1865
Genera

Pithecia
Chiropotes
Cacajao
Callicebus

The Pitheciidae are one of the four families of New World monkeys now recognised. Formerly they were included in the family Atelidae. The family includes the titis, saki monkeys and uakaris. Most species are native to the Amazonia region of Brazil, with some being found from Colombia in the north to Bolivia in the south.

Contents

[edit] Characteristics

Pithecids are small to medium monkeys, ranging from 23 cm in head-body length, for the smaller titis, to 44-49 cm in the uakaris. They have medium to long fur, in a wide range of colors, often with contrasting patches, especially on the face.

They are diurnal and arboreal animals, found in tropical forests from low-lying swamp to mountain slopes. They are predominantly herbivorous, eating mostly fruit and seeds, although some species will also eat a small number of insects. Sakis and uakaris have a diastema between the canine and premolar teeth, but the titis, which have unusually small canines for New World monkeys, do not.[2] All species have the dental formula:

2.1.3.3
2.1.3.3

Females give birth to a single young after a gestation period of between four to six months, depending on species. The uakaris and bearded sakis are polygamous, living in groups of 8-30 individuals. Each group has multiple males, which establish a dominance hierarchy amongst themselves. The titis and Pithecia sakis, by contrast, are monogamous and live in much smaller family groups.[2]

[edit] Classification

There are 42 currently recognized species of pithecid monkey, grouped into four genera and two subfamilies.[1][3]

*Newly identified species[3]

[edit] Extinct taxa

  • Subfamily Pitheciinae
    • Genus Soriacebus
      • Soriacebus ameghinorum
      • Soriacebus adrianae
    • Genus Carlocebus
      • Carlocebus carmenensis
      • Carlocebus intermedius
    • Genus Homunculus
    • Genus Cebupithecia
      • Cebupithecia sarmientoi
    • Genus Nuciruptor
      • Nuciruptor rubricae
    • Genus Propithecia
      • Propithecia neuquenensis

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Groves, Colin (16 November 2005). in Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 141-148. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. 
  2. ^ a b (1984) in Macdonald, D.: The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File, 358-361. ISBN 0-87196-871-1. 
  3. ^ a b New monkey species is already endangered. New Scientist (2008-01-19). Retrieved on 2008-01-19.

[edit] External links

Wikispecies has information related to:
v • d • e
Extant primate families by suborder
Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Mammalia · Infraclass: Eutheria · Superorder: Euarchontoglires
Strepsirrhini
Haplorrhini
Tarsiidae · Cebidae · Aotidae · Pitheciidae · Atelidae · Cercopithecidae · Hylobatidae · Hominidae