Activity and Ranging Patterns in Common Marmosets (Callithrix jacchus)

Abstract

The geographic range of the marmosets and tamarins (tribe Callitrichini; sensu Rosenberger et al. 1990) spans from Panama to northern Bolivia and throughout much of Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Brazil (Rylands et al., 1993; Hershkovitz, 1977). In these areas they exist in a variety of habitats including the primary rain forests of the Amazon basin, the Atlantic forests of southeastern Brazil, and the xeric thorn scrub (caatinga) and savannah forests (cerrado) of northeastern Brazil (Rylands, 1993; Rylands & de Faria, 1993). In these and other habitats, field studies have documented considerable variability in the social organization and ecology of callitrichin species. It has been hypothesized that some aspects of callitrichin social organization, in particular mating and infant care patterns, are related to the high cost of rearing infants in these species (see below). Few studies have attempted to quantify these costs under natural conditions (Goldizen, 1987; see also Tardif, 1997), and it remains unclear whether variation in ecological factors may result in species differences in the costs of infant care.