Western pygmy marmoset

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Western pygmy marmoset
Pygmy Marmoset (5336773146).jpg
Western pygmy marmoset in the Amazon, Ecuador
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Haplorhini
Infraorder: Simiiformes
Family: Callitrichidae
Genus: Cebuella
Species:
C. pygmaea
Binomial name
Cebuella pygmaea
(Spix, 1823)

The western pygmy marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea) is a marmoset species, a very small New World monkey found in the northwestern Amazon rainforest in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. It was formerly regarded as conspecific with the similar eastern pygmy marmoset, which has whitish underparts. Although the western pygmy marmoset occurs further west than the eastern pygmy marmoset, the primary separators of their ranges are the Amazon River (Solimões River) and Marañón River, with the western occurring to the north of them and the eastern to the south. [1]

Contents

Physical description

The western pygmy marmoset is the worlds smallest monkey. Pygmy marmosets have only a slight degree of sexual dimorphism; in the wild the average male weighs 110 g (3.9 oz), which is slightly smaller than the average female at 122 g (4.3 oz). [2] Fully grown western pygmy marmosets have an average body length of 13 cm (5.1 in), and a tail marked with black rings that is on average longer than their bodies at 20 cm (7.9 in). [3] They have fluffy "brownish-gold fur with black ticking on their shoulders, backs, and heads, while their ventral fur is light yellow to white". [4] There is very little visible physical differences between the two species in the Cebuella genus, with only a slight distinction in pelage colour. [4] Similar to other New World monkey species, the Western pygmy marmoset has long claw-like nails on all of their digits, which are mainly used for climbing and foraging. [5] Their skull is similar to that of the Callithrix genus, possibly due to their tree-gouging behavior and their appendicular skeleton has been shaped by the long periods of clinging, climbing, and their "upside down and under branch locomotion". [6] While pygmy marmosets leap the farthest relative to the length of their bodies, they are not very efficient in their leaps, and thus rarely do. [6]

Distribution

Western pygmy marmosets are native to South America, occupying a range which intersects borders with Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. In Brazil, they can be found in the upper Amazon basin, north of Solimões River, west of the Japurá River and south of the Río Caquetá in Colombia. There is a small subpopulation which is isolated west of the Rio Huallaga in northern Peru, which are of concern to researchers, as anthropogenic stresses are threatening this small population. They prefer a lowland habitat within tropical forests that are flooded for more than three months per year. Thus, their habitats are in tropical climates within swamps or rainforests. [1]

Behaviour

Diet

The western pygmy marmoset is an exudativore-insectivore, thus its diet comes mainly from the exudates (fluids) from trees, such as tree sap, gum, and latex from lianas and trees. [7] Through evolution of feeding on gum and sap from trees, the western pygmy marmoset developed dental adaptations that its ancestors did not have. [2] These dental adaptations allow it to actively stimulate the fluids from the trees, as it gouges holes in the bark. [8] It can also be found, on occasion, eating arthropods and fruits. [2]

Breeding

The pygmy marmosets frequently have fraternal twins. [9] When born, their infants are smaller than expected compared to their gestation length. This is probably due to their slow growth rate when in utero. [10]

Studies have shown that Cebuella pygmaea is potentially able to prevent reproduction in their population through hormonal suppression. If a single dominant female marmoset does not wish for her subordinate group members to reproduce, she can produce pheromonal signals which suppress hormones (LH secretion) which leads to ovulatory failure. However, this does not always work. If a subordinate female group member succeeds at breeding, the dominant female might resort to killing the offspring. [11] [12]

Vocalizations

Due to the natural habitat in the dense Amazonian River basin, the western pygmy marmoset must rely on vocal communication. This marmoset uses trills when it is at close distance, up to 9 m (30 ft), from one another and they use J calls when they are more than 20 m (66 ft) apart. The western pygmy marmoset’s “habitat acoustics have shaped the physical structure of the signals used for short and long-range communication”. [13] Long-range calls are the only ones that are distinctively heard compared to the trills and J calls, as they produce a lower frequency call at long distances. By using these different calling methods, the pygmy marmoset has developed a way of communicating distances to determine individual locations. [13]

Interestingly, the western pygmy marmoset has been observed to change “the structure of their trill vocalizations in response to pairing with a new mate”. [14] Prior to mating, marmosets would display unique trill vocalizations, and after six weeks of pairing, their trills become more homogenous. [14] These same studies also show that these vocal structure changes remained stable three years after pairing. [13]

Threats and conservation

As of 2015, the western pygmy marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea) has been listed by the IUCN as vulnerable based on the A4cd criteria. Based on their assessments, the population has declined more than 30% since 2009. According to the IUCN, this population decline can be attributed mainly to anthropogenic threats including deforestation, agriculture, mining and settlements. While the distribution area of the western pygmy marmoset is physically large, their niche diet results in a significantly smaller suitable habitat within the area they inhabit. Furthermore, this species has been impacted by the exotic pet trade, specifically in areas of their range which coincide with Ecuador and Peru. [1] Hunting has also traditionally been a stressor to the pygmy marmoset populations, as live capture is a common practice of children and adults of many indigenous communities, as well as being eaten and killed for target practice. [15]

While the western pygmy marmoset is only listen by the IUCN as vulnerable and not yet endangered, many scholars believe that more is needed to protect these animals. Some conservation methods include programs based “on didactic game through which children learn about the ecology, behaviour and conservation of these small primates” [15] with the goal of increasing awareness in order to help preserve pygmy marmosets and their habitats. De La Torre and Morelos-Juarez believe that educating local communities can have positive long-term effects on conservation. For instance, they produced environmental education programs where the intention was to provide children with the tools to be able to reflect how their actions can affect the environment. De La Torre and Morelos-Juarez also have an initiative called “teaching teachers” where teachers were taught to create lessons on the environment and primate protection had positive results among children. Both authors however elude to the fact that empowering and educating local communities is not enough to protect the pygmy marmoset populations. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Callitrichidae</span> Family of New World monkeys

The Callitrichidae are a family of New World monkeys, including marmosets, tamarins, and lion tamarins. At times, this group of animals has been regarded as a subfamily, called the Callitrichinae, of the family Cebidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New World monkey</span> Parvorder of mammals

New World monkeys are the five families of primates that are found in the tropical regions of Mexico, Central and South America: Callitrichidae, Cebidae, Aotidae, Pitheciidae, and Atelidae. The five families are ranked together as the Ceboidea, the only extant superfamily in the parvorder Platyrrhini.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haplorhini</span> Suborder of primates

Haplorhini, the haplorhines or the "dry-nosed" primates, is a suborder of primates containing the tarsiers and the simians, as sister of the Strepsirrhini ("moist-nosed"). The name is sometimes spelled Haplorrhini. The simians include catarrhines, and the platyrrhines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marmoset</span> Genus of mammals (monkeys)

The marmosets, also known as zaris or sagoin, are twenty-two New World monkey species of the genera Callithrix, Cebuella, Callibella, and Mico. All four genera are part of the biological family Callitrichidae. The term "marmoset" is also used in reference to Goeldi's marmoset, Callimico goeldii, which is closely related.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simian</span> Infraorder of primates

The simians, anthropoids, or higher primates are an infraorder of primates containing all animals traditionally called monkeys and apes. More precisely, they consist of the parvorders Platyrrhini and Catarrhini, the latter of which consists of the family Cercopithecidae and the superfamily Hominoidea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pygmy marmoset</span> Genus of monkey

Pygmy marmosets are two species of small New World monkeys in the genus Cebuella. They are native to rainforests of the western Amazon Basin in South America. These primates are notable for being the smallest monkeys in the world, at just over 100 g (3.5 oz). They are generally found in evergreen and river-edge forests and are gum-feeding specialists, or gummivores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silvery marmoset</span> Species of New World monkey

The silvery marmoset is a New World monkey that lives in the eastern Amazon Rainforest in Brazil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffy-tufted marmoset</span> Species of New World monkey

The buffy-tufted marmoset, also known as the buffy tufted-ear marmoset or white-eared marmoset, is a New World monkey that lives in the forests on the Atlantic coast of southeast Brazil. Of all the marmosets, it has the southernmost range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common marmoset</span> Species of New World monkey

The common marmoset also called white-tufted marmoset or white-tufted-ear marmoset is a New World monkey. It originally lived on the northeastern coast of Brazil, in the states of Piaui, Paraiba, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco, Alagoas, and Bahia. Through release of captive individuals, it has expanded its range since the 1920s to Southeast Brazil, where it became an invasive species, raising concerns about genetic pollution of similar species, such as the buffy-tufted marmoset, and predation upon bird nestlings and eggs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-tufted marmoset</span> Species of New World monkey

The black-tufted marmoset, also known as Mico-estrela in Portuguese, is a species of New World monkey that lives primarily in the Neo-tropical gallery forests of the Brazilian Central Plateau. It ranges from Bahia to Paraná, and as far inland as Goiás, between 14 and 25 degrees south of the equator, and can commonly be seen in the City of Rio de Janeiro where it was introduced. This marmoset typically resides in rainforests, living an arboreal life high in the trees, but below the canopy. They are only rarely spotted near the ground.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roosmalens' dwarf marmoset</span> Species of New World monkey

The Roosmalens' dwarf marmoset, also known as the black-crowned dwarf marmoset, is a small New World monkey native to the Amazon Rainforest, on the east bank of the lower Madeira River, and the west bank of the Aripuanã River, in Brazil. It has the smallest distribution of any primate in Amazonia. This marmoset has several unique attributes, which has resulted in it sometimes being placed in the monotypic genus Callibella. However, genetic analysis has subsequently resulted in its being classified within the genus Mico.

<i>Eosimias</i> Extinct genus of primates

Eosimias is a genus of early primates, first discovered and identified in 1999 from fossils collected in the Shanghuang fissure-fillings of Liyang, the southern city of Jiangsu Province, China. It is a part of the family Eosimiidae, and includes three known species: Eosimias sinensis, Eosimias centennicus, and Eosimias dawsonae. It provides us with a glimpse of a primate skeleton similar to that of the common ancestor of the Haplorhini. The name Eosimias is designed to mean "dawn monkey", from Greek eos "dawn" and Latin simius "monkey".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffy-headed marmoset</span> Species of New World monkey

The buffy-headed marmoset is a rare species of marmoset endemic to the rainforests of south-eastern Brazil. It occurs in southern Espírito Santo and possibly northern Rio de Janeiro and its distribution extends into Minas Gerais.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown-mantled tamarin</span> Species of New World monkey

The brown-mantled tamarin, also known as Spix's saddle-back tamarin, is a species of saddle-back tamarin. This New World monkey is found in the Southern American countries of Bolivia, Brazil and Peru. This omnivorous member of the Callitrichidae family is usually found in smaller groups ranging between 4 and 15 individuals. This species communicates vocally and largely rely their olfactory system. The brown-mantled tamarin is considered as a species of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, despite a decreasing population and being threatened by poaching, habitat loss and capture for the illegal pet trade.

C. pygmaea may refer to:

<i>Mico</i> (genus) Genus of New World monkeys

Mico is a genus of New World monkeys of the family Callitrichidae, the family containing marmosets and tamarins. The genus was formerly considered a subgenus of the genus Callithrix.

<i>Callithrix</i> Genus of New World monkeys

Callithrix is a genus of New World monkeys of the family Callitrichidae, the family containing marmosets and tamarins. The genus contains the Atlantic Forest marmosets. The name Callithrix is derived from the Greek words kallos, meaning beautiful, and thrix, meaning hair.

Infanticide in non-human primates occurs when an individual kills its own or another individual's dependent young. Five hypotheses have been proposed to explain infanticide in non-human primates: exploitation, resource competition, parental manipulation, sexual selection, and social pathology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern pygmy marmoset</span> Species of New World monkey

The eastern pygmy marmoset is a marmoset species, a very small New World monkey, found in the southwestern Amazon Rainforest in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru. It was formerly regarded as conspecific with the similar western pygmy marmoset, but the eastern pygmy marmoset has whitish colored underparts. Although the eastern pygmy marmoset occurs further east than the western pygmy marmoset, the primary separators of their ranges are the Amazon River and Maranon River, with the western occurring to the north of them and the eastern to the south. The species has recently been confirmed by DNA testing to exist in Ecuador, hundreds of kilometers north of the Maranon River.

References

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  16. de la Torre, Stella; Morelos-Juárez, Citlalli (2022-10-13). "Primate Conservation Efforts and Sustainable Development Goals in Ecuador, Combining Research, Education and Capacity Building". Animals. 12 (20): 2750. doi: 10.3390/ani12202750 . ISSN   2076-2615. PMC   9597764 . PMID   36290136.