The Cebidae are one of the five

families Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...

of New World monkeys now recognised. Extant members are the capuchin and squirrel monkeys. These species are found throughout tropical and subtropical

South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

and

Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...

Characteristics

Cebid monkeys are

arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally (scansorial), but others are exclusively arboreal. The hab ...

animals that only rarely travel on the ground. They are generally small monkeys, ranging in size up to that of the

brown capuchin The tufted capuchin (''Sapajus apella''), also known as brown capuchin, black-capped capuchin, or pin monkey, is a New World monkey, New World primate from South America and the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Margarita Island, Margarita. As t ...

, with a body length of 33 to 56 cm, and a weight of 2.5 to 3.9 kilograms. They are somewhat variable in form and coloration, but all have the wide, flat, noses typical of New World monkeys. They are

omnivorous An omnivore () is an animal that regularly consumes significant quantities of both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize ...

, mostly eating fruit and insects, although the proportions of these foods vary greatly between species. They have the

dental formula Dentition pertains to the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. In particular, it is the characteristic arrangement, kind, and number of teeth in a given species at a given age. That is, the number, type, and morpho-physiology ...

: Females give birth to one or two young after a

gestation Gestation is the period of development during the carrying of an embryo, and later fetus, inside viviparous animals (the embryo develops within the parent). It is typical for mammals, but also occurs for some non-mammals. Mammals during pregn ...

period of between 130 and 170 days, depending on species. They are social animals, living in groups of between five and forty individuals, with the smaller species typically forming larger groups. They are generally diurnal in habit.

Classification

Previously, New World monkeys were divided between

Callitrichidae The Callitrichidae (also called Arctopitheci or Hapalidae) are a family of New World monkeys, including marmosets, tamarins, and lion tamarins. At times, this group of animals has been regarded as a subfamily, called the Callitrichinae, of th ...

and this family. For a few recent years,

marmoset The marmosets (), also known as zaris or sagoin, are twenty-two New World monkey species of the genera '' Callithrix'', '' Cebuella'', '' Callibella'', and ''Mico''. All four genera are part of the biological family Callitrichidae. The term ...

s, tamarins, and lion tamarins were placed as a subfamily (Callitrichinae) in Cebidae, while moving other genera from Cebidae into the families Aotidae, Pitheciidae and

Atelidae The Atelidae are one of the five families of New World monkeys now recognised. It was formerly included in the family Cebidae. Atelids are generally larger monkeys; the family includes the howler, spider, woolly, and woolly spider monkeys (t ...

. The most recent classification of New World monkeys again splits the callitrichids off, leaving only the capuchins and squirrel monkeys in this family. Cebus albifrons edit

; * Subfamily Cebinae (capuchin monkeys) ** Genus '' Cebus'' (gracile capuchin monkeys) *** Colombian white-faced capuchin or Colombian white-headed capuchin, ''Cebus capucinus'' *** Panamanian white-faced capuchin or Panamanian white-headed capuchin, ''Cebus imitator'' *** Marañón white-fronted capuchin, ''Cebus yuracus'' *** Shock-headed capuchin, ''Cebus cuscinus'' *** Spix's white-fronted capuchin, ''Cebus unicolor'' *** Humboldt's white-fronted capuchin, ''Cebus albifrons'' *** Guianan weeper capuchin, ''Cebus olivaceus'' *** Chestnut capuchin, ''Cebus castaneus'' *** Ka'apor capuchin, ''Cebus kaapori'' *** Venezuelan brown capuchin, ''Cebus brunneus'' *** Sierra de Perijá white-fronted capuchin, ''Cebus leucocephalus'' *** Río Cesar white-fronted capuchin, ''Cebus cesare'' *** Varied white-fronted capuchin, ''Cebus versicolor'' *** Santa Marta white-fronted capuchin, ''Cebus malitiosus'' *** Ecuadorian white-fronted capuchin, ''Cebus aequatorialis'' ** Genus '' Sapajus'' (robust capuchin monkeys) *** Tufted capuchin, ''Sapajus apella'' *** Blond capuchin, ''Sapajus flavius'' *** Black-striped capuchin, ''Sapajus libidinosus'' *** Azaras's capuchin, ''Sapajus cay'' *** Black capuchin, ''Sapajus nigritus'' *** Crested capuchin, ''Sapajus robustus'' *** Golden-bellied capuchin, ''Sapajus xanthosternos'' * Subfamily Saimiriinae (squirrel monkeys) ** Genus '' Saimiri'' *** Bare-eared squirrel monkey, ''Saimiri ustus'' *** Black squirrel monkey, ''Saimiri vanzolinii'' *** Black-capped squirrel monkey, ''Saimiri boliviensis'' *** Central American squirrel monkey, ''Saimiri oerstedi'' *** Guianan squirrel monkey, ''Saimiri sciureus'' *** Humboldt's squirrel monkey, ''Saimiri cassiquiarensis'' *** Collins' squirrel monkey, ''Saimiri collinsi''

Extinct taxa

*Genus '' Panamacebus'' **'' Panamacebus transitus'' *Subfamily Cebinae **Genus '' Acrecebus'' ***'' Acrecebus fraileyi'' **Genus '' Killikaike'' ***'' Killikaike blakei'' **Genus '' Dolichocebus'' ***'' Dolichocebus gaimanensis'' *Subfamily Saimiriinae **Genus '' Saimiri'' ***'' Saimiri fieldsi'' ***''

Saimiri annectens ''Saimiri annectens'', originally described as ''Laventiana annectens'' and later as ''Neosaimiri annectens'', is an extinct species of New World monkey in the genus ''squirrel monkey, Saimiri'' from the Miocene, Middle Miocene (Laventan in the S ...

'' **Genus '' Patasola'' ***'' Patasola magdalenae''

References

{{Authority control New World monkeys Primate families Taxa named by Charles Lucien Bonaparte Taxa described in 1831