Abstract
Neosaimiri fieldsi, from the South American middle Miocene locality of La Venta, is represented by a relatively complete mandible and dentition that strongly resembles that of extantSaimiri. Comparison with a large sample of mandibles ofSaimiri indicates that this specimen cannot be distinguished from modern populations on the basis of any reportedly diagnostic feature, such as cingulid development, molar length ratio, trigonic/talonid ratio, or mandibular depth. The fossil is best considered an extinct species of the modern genusSaimiri until further material indicates otherwise.
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Rosenberger, A.L., Hartwig, W.C., Takai, M. et al. Dental variability inSaimiri and the taxonomic status ofNeosaimiri fieldsi, an early squirrel monkey from La Venta, Colombia. International Journal of Primatology 12, 291–301 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02547590
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02547590