The primates of Colombia include 41 extant species in 13 genera and five families.[1] Additionally, 12 fossil species in 10 genera and five families have been identified in Colombia, mainly at the La Venta Lagerstätte of the Honda Group, mostly from the so-called "Monkey Unit", "Monkey Beds" or "Monkey Locality",[2] the richest site for fossil primates in South America.[3] As of 2013, of the 30 fossil primate species found in South America dating to the Late Oligocene (26 Ma) to the Pleistocene, twelve are described from the Honda Group. The genera Branisella, Caipora, Carlocebus, Chilecebus, Dolichocebus, Homunculus, Killikaike, Mazzonicebus, Proteropithecia, Protopithecus, Soriacebus, Szalatavus and Tremacebus have been discovered in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Peru and are not known from Colombia. Additionally, Antillothrix, Insulacebus (both Hispaniola), Paralouatta (Cuba) and Xenothrix (Jamaica) were restricted to the Caribbean.[4] The discovery of Perupithecus, described in 2015 from the Late Eocene (35-36 Ma) Santa Rosa fauna in the Yahuarango Formation of the Peruvian Amazon, pushes back the evolutionary lineage of New World primates.[5]
| Common name | Scientific name | Image | Distribution & habitat | Range map | Remarks | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aotidae - night monkeys | ||||||
| Aotus brumbacki | ssp. of A. lemurinus ?; Vulnerable | |||||
| Aotus lemurinus | Vulnerable | |||||
| Aotus griseimembra | ssp. of A. lemurinus ?; Vulnerable | |||||
| Aotus jorgehernandezi | West slope of Central Andes (Quindío, Risaralda) | Tatamá (West Andes) ? | ||||
| Aotus zonalis | ssp. of A. lemurinus ? | |||||
| Aotus vociferans | Amazon region | |||||
| Atelidae - howler, spider, and wooly monkeys | ||||||
| Ateles fusciceps | Critically endangered | |||||
| Ateles hybridus | Critically endangered | |||||
| Lagothrix lagotricha | Vulnerable | |||||
| Lagothrix lugens | Critically endangeredEndemic ? | |||||
| Ateles geoffroyi | Endangered | |||||
| Alouatta juara | may be subspecies of A. seniculus | |||||
| Alouatta palliata | ||||||
| Alouatta arctoidea | may be subspecies of A. seniculus | |||||
| Alouatta seniculus | ||||||
| Ateles belzebuth | Endangered | |||||
| Callitrichidae - marmosets & tamarins | ||||||
| Saguinus nigricollis | ||||||
| Saguinus fuscicollis | Sympatric with pygmy marmoset | |||||
| Saguinus oedipus | Critically endangeredEndemic | |||||
| Saguinus geoffroyi | ||||||
| Callimico goeldii | Vulnerable | |||||
| Saguinus graellsi | ssp. of S. nigricollis ?; Near threatened | |||||
| Saguinus inustus | ||||||
| Cebuella pygmaea | ||||||
| Saguinus leucopus | Allopatry from S. oedipus; Endangered; Endemic | |||||
| Cebidae - capuchins & squirrel monkeys | ||||||
| Cebus capucinus | Map shows combined range of Colombian and Panamanian white-faced capuchins; Colombian white-faced capuchin range shown in red | |||||
| Saimiri sciureus | Subsequent taxonomic research restricts S. sciureus to Brazil and the Guianas; replaced in Colombia by S. cassiquiarensis | |||||
| Saimiri macrodon | --> | |||||
| Saimiri cassiquiarensis | ||||||
| Sapajus macrocephalus | may be ssp. of S. apella | |||||
| Cebus yuracus | Southern Colombia | |||||
| Cebus cesarae | Río Cesar valley | Endemic | ||||
| Cebus malitiosus | EndangeredEndemic | |||||
| Cebus leucocephalus | Northern Colombia | |||||
| Cebus apella | ||||||
| Cebus versicolor | Río Magdalena Valley | EndangeredEndemic | ||||
| Cebus olivaceus | ||||||
| Cebus albifrons | Several white-fronted capuchin species were formerly considered subspecies of C. albifrons | |||||
| Pitheciidae - titis, sakis & uakaris | ||||||
| Callicebus lugens | Orinoco & Amazon lowlands, between Caquetá & Tomo Rivers | |||||
| Callicebus caquetensis | Critically endangeredEndemic | |||||
| Callicebus torquatus | ||||||
| Callicebus medemi | Amazon region, between Caquetá & Putumayo Rivers | VulnerableEndemic | ||||
| Cacajao melanocephalus | ||||||
| Callicebus lucifer | Amazon region, between Caquetá & Putumayo Rivers | |||||
| Pithecia monachus | ||||||
| Callicebus ornatus | VulnerableEndemic | |||||
| Callicebus discolor | Vulnerable | |||||
See also: List of fossil primates of South America.
| Age | Formation | Family | Genus | Species | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid Miocene (Laventan) | Honda Group | Aotus | A. dindensis | ||
| Miocallicebus | M. villaviejai | ||||
| Stirtonia | S. tatacoensis (syn. Kondous laventicus) | ||||
| S. victoriae | |||||
| Lagonimico | L. conclucatus | ||||
| Micodon | M. kiotensis | ||||
| Patasola | P. magdalenae | ||||
| Saimiri | S. annectens (syn. Laventiana annectens, Neosaimiri annectens) | ||||
| S. fieldsi (syn. Neosaimiri fieldsi) | |||||
| Cebupithecia | C. sarmientoi | ||||
| Nuciruptor | N. rubricae | ||||
| incertae sedis (Callitrichidae, Pitheciidae or Aotidae) | Mohanamico | M. hershkovitzi | |||