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Local variations in fruit- and leaf-eating have been reported for some primate species; however, similar variations in exudate-feeding of pygmy marmosets, one of the most specialized neotropical primate species, have not been studied. In our 3-year study of four populations of pygmy marmosets in northeastern Ecuador, we characterized their exudate-feeding behavior by describing the use of exudate sources. We tested whether the use of exudate species was related to ecological factors such as the availability of exudate species in an area. We estimated the daily activity budgets of the groups with 1-hr scan samples and found significant interpopulation differences in the time spent on exudate feeding. We recorded a total of 18 exudate species used in the four populations; however, the populations differed in the total number of species used and in the preferred species. The most commonly used plant species were Sterculia apetala at San Pablo, Cedrela odorata at Sacha, Inga marginata at Amazoonico, and Parkia balslevii at Zancudo. We recorded the presence and abundance of the 18 exudate species in 90-m transects in the home range of each group and in one additional control area that contained no marmosets, for each population. Differences in the most-used exudate species among populations did not appear to be related to the availability of these species in each population, i.e., the marmosets did not use at random the exudate species available within their range, nor did they use more often the exudate species that were more abundant in their home ranges. One implication of our results for conservation is that protecting exudate resources based on data from only one area will not be sufficient to preserve pygmy marmosets in all populations.

Threats to biodiversity are well documented. However, to effectively conserve species and their habitats, we need to know which conservation interventions do (or do not) work. Evidence-based conservation evaluates interventions within a scientific framework. The Conservation Evidence project has summarized thousands of studies testing conservation interventions and compiled these as synopses for various habitats and taxa. In the present article, we analyzed the interventions assessed in the primate synopsis and compared these with other taxa. We found that despite intensive efforts to study primates and the extensive threats they face, less than 1% of primate studies evaluated conservation effectiveness. The studies often lacked quantitative data, failed to undertake postimplementation monitoring of populations or individuals, or implemented several interventions at once. Furthermore, the studies were biased toward specific taxa, geographic regions, and interventions. We describe barriers for testing primate conservation interventions and propose actions to improve the conservation evidence base to protect this endangered and globally important taxon.

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Population variation in primate vocal structure has been rarely observed. Here, we report significant population differences in the structure of two vocalizations in wild pygmy marmosets (Trills and J calls). We studied 14 groups of pygmy marmosets Callithrix (Cebuella) pygmaea pygmaea from five populations in northeastern Ecuador. We analyzed the acoustic structure of Trills and J calls recorded from two adult animals in each group through focal samples. Although individuals and groups within a population differed in call structure, we found consistent structural differences at a population level for Trills and J calls. Pair-wise comparisons for the two call types point to San Pablo and Amazoonico as the populations that differed the most, whereas Hormiga and Zancudococha showed the least differences. Discriminant function analysis indicates that calls from each population could be classified accurately at rates significantly above chance. Habitat acoustics, social factors and genetic drift may explain interpopulation vocal differences. This is the first evidence of within-subspecies vocal differences, or dialects, in wild populations of a neotropical primate species.

There are multiple components to the concept of Umwelt experienced by an organism that may constrain the type and structure of communication signals as well as the usefulness of these signals. To illustrate the impact of these multiple environmental components, the authors used signals of the pygmy marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea), a small primate from the western Amazon. The authors summarize studies to show how the physical effects of the habitat; effects of other species, both predators and nonpredators; anthropogenic effects on the communication environment; within-group and between-groups influences other pygmy marmosets exert; and ontogeny influence the structure and usage of vocal signals. Communication within a species can be understood only in consideration of each of these contexts.

Objectives We investigated the diversity of the pygmy marmoset, Cebuella pygmaea, by comparing genetic, morphological and pelage traits of animals from Peru and Ecuador. Materials and Methods We extracted DNA from museum specimen osteocrusts and from fecal samples collected from free‐ranging individuals. We sequenced the mtDNA cytochrome b gene and the control region from samples collected at 13 different sites and used Bayesian inference and Maximum Likelihood to identify distinct clades. We took measurements of the crania of a subset of these specimens (n = 26) and ran a logistic regression to determine if any of the cranial measurements (n = 22) could predict a specimen's clade. In addition, we examined the pelage patterns of the museum specimens and photographs taken of free‐ranging individuals and divided them into pelage types based on coloration of the underbelly. Results We identified two divergent clades, and two distinct groups with clear geographic boundaries within one of those clades. Two measurements of the zygomatic bone perfectly predicted a given individual's mtDNA clade. We found four distinct pelage patterns in our samples, but these patterns are variable within clades and among individuals within the same population. Conclusion These analyses indicate that the two recognized subspecies of pygmy marmoset should be elevated to the species level (C. pygmaea and C. niveiventris) based on molecular and cranial differences but not on pelage patterns. We provide evidence on the geographic limits of the two clades and identify regions where additional sampling is required to better define the geographic distribution of the two clades.

A field study of Saguinus nigricollis graellsi in the Cuyabeno Faunal Production Reserve, Ecuadorian Amazonia, established the characteristics of the home range and some reproductive aspects of the species. Field data were collected in two climatic seasons: dry, from December 1989 through March 1990, and rainy, from May through August 1990. Eight groups visited and/or lived in the study area during the dry season and ten during the rainy season. Group sizes ranged from two to nine individuals. Population density was estimated at 22-33 individuals per square km. The central group, which was followed intensively, had a home range which included both flooded and non-flooded forests. Terra firme forest was most used by the species. The home range of this group was reduced from 56.2 hectares (ha) in the dry season to 41.7 ha in the rainy season, probably as a result of a differential distribution of food plants between seasons. The presence of dense undergrowth where monkeys could hide to avoid predation and/or a high concentration of food plants seem related to the preferential use of certain areas in the home range. The home ranges of neighboring groups overlapped considerably and peaceful temporary large groups were frequently observed. A generalized birth peak occurred in January 1990, dry season. In June 1990, rainy season, 40% of the groups exhibited a second birth peak. This reproductive bimodality of S. nigricollis graellsi indicates a high productivity of the forests a t the Cuyabeno site. 0 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.