Paraguayan Primatology: Past, present and future

摘要

© 2021 Global Wildlife Conservation. All rights reserved.With just five species, the Paraguayan primate fauna is less diverse than its neighbours and, perhaps as a result of this, few biologists have chosen the country for their primate studies. Consequently, the ecological data available for three of the five species that occur in the country is scant, and most of what we know about the other two is based on studies carried out in other countries. This paper collates specimen and literature data about this group to serve as a basis to encourage future research and to correct persistent errors and contradictions. Primate specimens in all the major Paraguayan collections and all significant specimens in international collections were examined. Specimen data were collated and supplemented with literature and photographic data. Distribution data is provided according to a hierarchy of record reliability of examined specimens, specimens that we have not examined, literature records, photographic records and reliable sightings in the wild. Five species have been confirmed to be present in Paraguay, with an additional species (Callithrix jacchus) that is feral/introduced, and four species cited in the literature in error. Relevant discussion and distribution maps are provided for each species. The vast majority of primate specimens were collected at least 35 years ago, and the specimen record may no longer represent current distributions given the rapidly changing landscape in the country. We conclude that the available data on the distributions of Paraguayan primates are highly biased towards two species (Alouatta caraya and Sapajus cay), yet even these are poorly known, and despite most primatological studies to date being focused on the Chaco region (where diversity is greatest), we still lack basic occurrence data or an understanding of the ecological requirements and seasonal movements of most species. However, primatological research in Paraguay has experienced a renaissance in the past five years, and a brief rundown of projects that are currently underway is provided.