Uakari
| Uakari[1] | |
|---|---|
| |
| Bald uakari (Cacajao calvus) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Suborder: | Haplorhini |
| Infraorder: | Simiiformes |
| Family: | Pitheciidae |
| Subfamily: | Pitheciinae |
| Genus: | Cacajao Lesson, 1840 |
| Type species | |
| Simia melanocephalus Humboldt, 1812
| |
| Species | |
|
Cacajao melanocephalus | |
Uakari (UK: /wəˈkɑːri/,[2] US: /wɑː-/)[3] is the common name for the New World monkeys from the genus Cacajao. Both the English and scientific names are believed to have originated from indigenous languages.[4]
A phylogeographic reconstruction identified a most recent common ancestor of living Uakari dating 1.7 million years ago, in the Solimões River, where the species was separated by the changing river and diversified.[5]
Species
[edit]There are four species from the Genus Cacajao:[1][6]
- Genus Cacajao
- Bald uakari or red uakari, C. calvus
- Cacajao calvus calvus
- Cacajao calvus ucayalii
- Cacajao calvus rubicundus
- Cacajao calvus novaesi
- Bald uakari or red uakari, C. calvus
- Black-headed uakari species group
- Golden-backed or black-headed uakari, Cacajao melanocephalus
- Aracá uakari, Cacajao ayresi*
- Neblina uakari, Cacajao hosomi*
In 2014 Ferrari et al. proposed an alternative taxonomy for the C. melanocephalus group which recognizes the Aracá uakari as a subspecies of the golden-backed uakari, and also recognized Cacajao ouakary as a separate species, whereas current consensus is that C. ouakary is a junior synonym of C. melanocephalus.[7][8] This revision is not universally accepted.[9]
Geographic Distribution and Habitat
[edit]Uakari are native to South America, residing in the western portions of the Amazon Rainforest in Eastern Peru and Western Brazil.[10][11] Uakari have previously been found in parts of Eastern Colombia[11]; however, it is thought that they may be extinct in this region as a result of excessive deforestation, which has destroyed habitats, significantly reduced Uakari habitat availability.[10] Nearly all Uakari live in the floodplains of the Amazon Rainforest, residing near small rivers and lakes.[10][11]
It is a common belief that Uakari are specialized to live only in flooded regions of the forest.[12] New research has shown that some groups of Uakari have adapted to live in terra firme forest, which is situated at a much higher altitude than Uakari were previously thought to live in.[12] The terra firme forest habitat resides 2000-2200 feet above sea level (600-700 meters above sea level), and therefore does not flood.[12] This evidence suggest that an environment that lacks flooding could possibly be more beneficial to the lifestyles of Uakari, especially considering the increase of human disruption in tropical forest, which has contributed to making portions of the Amazon Rainforest less hospitable.[12]
Physical Description
[edit]The average Uakari weighs only 6-8 pounds (2.5-3.5 kg) and is around 1 1/2 - 2 feet long (40-50 cm).[10][11] Uakari have unusually short, non-prehensile tails that are 5 inches (15 cm) long, causing them to rely on their arms, legs, fingers and toes to move through trees.[10] With the exclusion of the tops of their heads, faces, and ears, Uakari's bodies are covered in long fur ranging in colors such as yellow/gold, orange, brown, or red depending on the species.[10][11] Uakari have flat, crimson faces with nostrils that are widely separated.[11]
Uakari Red Faces
[edit]A defining characteristic of Uakari are their hairless, red faces.[10] This unique feature is not due to pigmentation in the skin, but rather a lack thereof.[13] A lack of melanin, in combination with a thin epidermis and a high density of large capillaries in the face account for their scarlet complexion.[13]
It is suspected that the intensity of redness is an Uakari's face can be an indicator of health, however this hypothesis has not been scientifically verified.[13] The red faces are primarily used as a means of species identification, allowing members of troops (groups of Uakari) to differentiate between individuals.[13] This feature also serves as a secondary sexual characteristic, where the intensity of redness is correlated with the level of testosterone in males and estrogen in females.[10] In fact, levels of redness in a female Uakari's face varies throughout her menstrual cycle and can indicate when she is ovulating and most fertile.[13]
Behavior
[edit]Like most primates, Uakari are active, intelligent, and social creatures living in groups called troops.[10][11] Troop sizes range from 10-30 individuals on average, with some troops being as large as 100 Uakari.[11][10] These animals are diurnal, where adults will forage during the day while their socialize with their peers by playing games with one another.[11] At night, Uakari can be found sleeping on thin limbs high up in the trees.[11] Although they are primarily quadrupedal, Uakari have been observed jumping from two feet to leap between trees. [11] Shrieks are used to communication between members of troops and to mark territory, but these animals do not have extensive verbal communication, and tend to be quiet most of the time.[11]
Reproduction
[edit]Uakari are monogamous, where females will give birth to one offspring every other year.[10][11] Females are sexually mature at 3 years of age, and remain in the troop they were born into throughout their lives.[10] Males on the other hand, will leave their native troops in search of mates once they are old enough to reproduce.[10] In comparison to their female counterparts, male Uakari are much older when they reach sexual maturity at age 6.[10]
Uakari breeding season spans from October to May and their gestation period last around 6 months.[10] Infants will feed off of their mother's milk for the first few months of their lives and slowly transition to eating soft fruits once they are 3-5 months old.[11]
Diet
[edit]Uakari forage in both the canopies and forest floor,[10]
where they primarily consume a large amount of unripe fruit for which they have specialized dentition.[14] Uakari have strong jaws and fang-like teeth that allow them to bite through the hard exteriors of fruits and nuts.[10] They also eat flowers, seeds, insects and leaves.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Groves, C. P. (2005). "Genus Cacajao". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 146. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
- ^ "uakari". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021.
- ^ "uakari". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster.
- ^ Barnett, Adrian A. (December 2004). "The Meanings of Cacajao and Uacari: Folk Etymology in Neotropical Primate Taxonomy". Neotropical Primates. 12 (3): 147–152. doi:10.1896/1413-4705.12.3.147. ISSN 1413-4705.
- ^ Silva, Felipe Ennes; Luna, Leilton Willians; Batista, Romina; Röhe, Fabio; Gubili, Chrysoula; Farias, Izeni P.; Hrbek, Tomas; Valsecchi, João; Ribas, Camila C.; McDevitt, Allan D.; Dellicour, Simon; Flot, Jean-François; Boubli, Jean P. (2024-04-08). "Impact of Quaternary Amazonian river dynamics on the diversification of uakari monkeys (genus Cacajao )". Journal of Biogeography. doi:10.1111/jbi.14844. ISSN 0305-0270.
- ^ Boubli, J. P.; M. N. F. da Silva; M. V. Amado; T. Hrbek; F. B. Pontual; I. P. Farias (2008). "A taxonomic reassessment of black uakari monkeys, Cacajao melanocephalus group, Humboldt (1811), with the description of two new species" (PDF). International Journal of Primatology. 29: 723–749. doi:10.1007/s10764-008-9248-7. S2CID 26561719. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-10-31.
- ^ Ferrari, Stephen F.; Guedes, Patricia G.; Figueriredo-Ready, Wilsea M.B.; Barnett, Adrian A. (2014). "Reconsidering the taxonomy of the Black-Faced Uacaris, Cacajao melanocephalus group (Mammalia: Pitheciidae), from the northern Amazon Basin". Zootaxa. 3866 (3): 353–370. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3866.3.3. PMID 25283664.
- ^ "Cacajao". ASM Mammal Diversity Database. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
- ^ "Cacajao". ITIS. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q DiCesare, Maria (May 2022). "Bald Uakari, Cacajao calvus - New England Primate Conservancy". neprimateconservancy.org. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Felton-Church, Ali. "Cacajao calvus (red uakari)". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 2025-03-21.
- ^ a b c d Heymann, Eckhard W.; Aquino, Rolando (2010-10-01). "Peruvian Red Uakaris (Cacajao calvus ucayalii) Are Not Flooded-Forest Specialists". International Journal of Primatology. 31 (5): 751–758. doi:10.1007/s10764-010-9425-3. ISSN 0164-0291. PMC 2945472. PMID 20949117 – via Springer Nature.
- ^ a b c d e Mayor, P.; Mamani, J.; Montes, D.; González-Crespo, C.; Sebastián, M. A.; Bowler, M. (July 2015). "Proximate causes of the red face of the bald uakari monkey ( Cacajao calvus )". Royal Society Open Science. 2 (7): 150145. doi:10.1098/rsos.150145. ISSN 2054-5703. PMC 4632585. PMID 26587272 – via The Royal Society.
- ^ a b Gron, K.J. (July 21, 2008). "Primate Factsheets: Uakari (Cacajao) Taxonomy, Morphology, & Ecology". Retrieved July 1, 2012.
External links
[edit]
- Primate Info Net Cacajao Factsheet
- New Monkey Species Found by a New Zealand primatologist in Brazilian Amazon
- The Red Uakari Monkey Project
