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Seasonal Variation in Polyspecific Associations Among Callimico goeldii, Saguinus labiatus, and S. fuscicollis in Acre, Brazil

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Polyspecific associations (PSA) occur when 2 or more species maintain proximity or coordinate activities. PSA may provide ecological benefits similar to those of monospecific groups, i.e., protection against predation and improved foraging efficiency, but may also impart costs, such as feeding competition. I studied 3 New World Callitrichidae—Callimico goeldii, Saguinus fuscicollis, and S. labiatus—in northwestern Brazil over 18 mo between April 1999 and August 2003, during which single primary study groups of C. goeldii, S. labiatus, and S. fuscicollis consistently associated with one another. I compared patterns of PSA participation to variation in plant diets during wet and dry seasons. All 3 species associated an average 61% of observation time, but with significant seasonal variation in PSA. During the dry season, April–September, PSA occurred significantly less frequently than during the wet season, October–March (37% vs. 88%). The variation in PSA corresponded with seasonal shifts in plant food diets, resulting in less dietary overlap among all 3 species during the dry season, particularly between Callimico goeldii and Saguinus labiatus. Dietary richness, diversity, and evenness were also lower in the dry compared to the wet season for each species. The results suggest a link between PSA participation and diet among the taxa; foraging-related costs or feeding competition may constrain PSA during the dry season.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I thank the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and the Universidade Federal do Acre (UFAC) for granting me permission to conduct the research and to work at the Fazenda Experimental Catuaba. I also thank all the researchers, administrators, and technicians of the Universidade Federal do Acre and the Herbário do Parque Zoobotânico for their help, and in particular, Marco Antônio de Oliveira, Armando Muniz Calouro, and Maria Aparecida de Oliveira Azevedo Lopes. I also thank 2 anonymous reviewers of the manuscript for many helpful comments and suggestions. The Graduate College of the University of Illinois in part funded the research.

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Rehg, J.A. Seasonal Variation in Polyspecific Associations Among Callimico goeldii, Saguinus labiatus, and S. fuscicollis in Acre, Brazil. Int J Primatol 27, 1399–1428 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-006-9076-6

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