The Callitrichidae (also called Arctopitheci or Hapalidae) 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.

This taxon was traditionally thought to be a primitive lineage, from which all the larger-bodied platyrrhines evolved.Hershkovitz, P. Living New World Monkeys (Platyrrhini) with an Introduction to the Primates. University of Chicago 1977. However, some works argue that callitrichids are actually a dwarfed lineage.Naish, Darren. Marmosets and tamarins: dwarfed monkeys of the South American tropics. Scientific American November 27, 2012

Ancestral stem-callitrichids likely were "normal-sized" ceboids that were dwarfed through evolutionary time. This may exemplify a rare example of insular dwarfing in a mainland context, with the "islands" being formed by biogeographic barriers during arid climatic periods when forest distribution became patchy, and/or by the extensive river networks in the Amazon Basin.

All callitrichids are arboreal. They are the smallest of the simian primates. They eat insects, fruit, and the sap or gum from trees; occasionally, they take small vertebrates. The marmosets rely quite heavily on tree exudates, with some species (e.g. Callithrix jacchus and Cebuella pygmaea) considered obligate exudativores.

Callitrichids typically live in small, territorial groups of about five or six animals. Their social organization is unique among primates, and is called a "cooperative polyandrous group". This communal breeding system involves groups of multiple males and females, but only one female is reproductively active. Females mate with more than one male and each shares the responsibility of carrying the offspring.

They are the only primate group that regularly produces twins, which constitute over 80% of births in species that have been studied. Unlike other male primates, male callitrichids generally provide as much parental care as females. Parental duties may include carrying, protecting, feeding, comforting, and even engaging in play behavior with offspring. In some cases, such as in the cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus), males, particularly those that are paternal, even show a greater involvement in caregiving than females.Cleveland and Snowdon. Social development during the first twenty weeks in the cotton-top tamarin ( Saguinus o. oedipus). Animal Behaviour (1984) vol. 32 (2) pp. 432-444 The typical social structure seems to constitute a breeding group, with several of their previous offspring living in the group and providing significant help in rearing the young.

Species and subspecies list

Taxa included in the Callitrichidae are:

Family Callitrichidae Genus Saguinus Subgenus Saguinus Golden-handed tamarin, Saguinus midas Western black tamarin, Saguinus niger Eastern black-handed tamarin, Saguinus ursulus Pied tamarin, Saguinus bicolor Martins's tamarin, Saguinus martinsi Saguinus martinsi martinsi Saguinus martinsi ochraceus White-footed tamarin, Saguinus leucopus Cottontop tamarin, Saguinus oedipus Geoffroy's tamarin, Saguinus geoffroyi Subgenus Tamarinus Moustached tamarin, Saguinus mystax Spix's moustached tamarin, Saguinus mystax mystax Red-capped moustached tamarin, Saguinus mystax pileatus White-rump moustached tamarin, Saguinus mystax pluto White-lipped tamarin, Saguinus labiatus Geoffroy's red-bellied tamarin, Saguinus labiatus labiatus Gray's red-bellied tamarin, Saguinus labiatus rufiventer Thomas's red-bellied tamarin, Saguinus labiatus thomasi Emperor tamarin, Saguinus imperator Black-chinned emperor tamarin, Saguinus imperator imperator Bearded emperor tamarin, Saguinus imperator subgrisescens Mottle-faced tamarin, Saguinus inustus Genus Leontocebus Black-mantled tamarin, Leontocebus nigricollis Spix's black-mantle tamarin, Leontocebus nigricollis nigricollis Graells's tamarin, Leontocebus nigricollis graellsi Hernández-Camacho's black-mantle tamarin, Leontocebus nigricollis hernandezi Brown-mantled tamarin, Leontocebus fuscicollis Avila Pires' saddle-back tamarin, Leontocebus fuscicollis avilapiresi Spix's saddle-back tamarin, Leontocebus fuscicollis fuscicollis Mura's saddleback tamarin, Leontocebus fuscicollis mura Lako's saddleback tamarin, Leontocebus fuscicollis primitivus Andean saddle-back tamarin, Leontocebus leucogenys Lesson's saddle-back tamarin, Leontocebus fuscus Cruz Lima's saddle-back tamarin, Leontocebus cruzlimai Weddell's saddle-back tamarin, Leontocebus weddelli Weddell's tamarin, Leontocebus weddelli weddelli Crandall's saddle-back tamarin, Leontocebus weddelli crandalli White-mantled tamarin, Leontocebus weddelli melanoleucus Golden-mantled tamarin, Leontocebus tripartitus Illiger's saddle-back tamarin, Leontocebus illigeri Red-mantled saddle-back tamarin, Leontocebus lagonotus Geoffroy's saddle-back tamarin, Leontocebus nigrifrons Genus Leontopithecus Golden lion tamarin, Leontopithecus rosalia Golden-headed lion tamarin, Leontopithecus chrysomelas Black lion tamarin, Leontopithecus chrysopygus Superagui lion tamarin, Leontopithecus caissara Genus Patasola Patasola magdalenae Genus Micodon Micodon kiotensis Genus Callimico Goeldi's marmoset, Callimico goeldii Genus Mico Silvery marmoset, Mico argentatus Roosmalens' dwarf marmoset, Mico humilis White marmoset, Mico leucippe Black-tailed marmoset, Mico melanurus Schneider's marmoset, Mico schneideri Hershkovitz's marmoset, Mico intermedius Emilia's marmoset, Mico emiliae Black-headed marmoset, Mico nigriceps Marca's marmoset, Mico marcai Santarem marmoset, Mico humeralifer Gold-and-white marmoset, Mico chrysoleucos Maués marmoset, Mico mauesi Sateré marmoset, Mico saterei Rio Acarí marmoset, Mico acariensis Rondon's marmoset, Mico rondoni Munduruku marmoset, Mico munduruku Genus Cebuella Western pygmy marmoset, Cebuella pygmaea Eastern pygmy marmoset, Cebuella niveiventris Genus Callithrix Common marmoset, Callithrix jacchus Black-tufted marmoset, Callithrix penicillata Wied's marmoset, Callithrix kuhlii White-headed marmoset, Callithrix geoffroyi Buffy-tufted marmoset, Callithrix aurita Buffy-headed marmoset, Callithrix flaviceps

References