Hazel Byrne: University of California, Los Angeles

Neotropical primates are a diverse clade of primates that inhabit South and Central
America. Broadly speaking, in comparison to “Old World” primates originating in Africa and Asia, most Neotropical primates are strikingly understudied with many outstanding questions regarding their evolution. Among the least studied and appreciated groups are the monogamous pair-bonding titi monkeys (subfamily Callicebinae), yet titis are also among the most species rich primate radiations with over 30 species recognised. Prior to 2016, the only phylogeny focusing on titi monkeys was derived from morphological characters in the 1990’s, and owing to their morphological conservatism, the depth of diversity found in this clade was highly underestimated. The long-term assumption that titis represented a group of extremely similar primates impacted how we have studied them (i.e., existing research is based on a few “representative” species). This talk explores the insight gained into the evolutionary history of these enigmatic primates through molecular phylogenetic studies within the past three years. These studies have revealed deeply divergent titi lineages dating to the Miocene, uncovered a complex evolutionary history, and highlighted the consequences of previous assumptions for our already limited understanding of callicebine biology.