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Primate Community Structure in Guyana: A Biogeographic Analysis

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Abstract

Studies of primate community structure increase our understanding of behavior, adaptation, and evolution. However, there are few biogeographic data on specific composition and association patterns in primate communities. I conducted a biogeographic analysis of the community structure of primate species at 16 sites in Guyana. I used data from 1725 km of line-transect censuses to determine specific composition and association patterns of 220 primate groups . Of the 18 polyspecific groups, 94.1% (N = 16) included squirrel monkeys. There was an overall trend towards positive specific associations among Guyanese primates. The only species that exhibited a negative pattern of interspecific associations were brown and wedge-capped capuchins. The sighting rate for wedge-capped capuchins at sympatric sites was particularly depressed compared to that for brown capuchins. Low plant productivity in Guyanese forests may reduce the diversity of feeding niches and result in a low incidence of polyspecific associations and scramble competition between wedge-capped and brown capuchins.

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  1. Department of Anthropology, and Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments, SUNY-Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York, 11794-4364

    Shawn M. Lehman

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Lehman, S.M. Primate Community Structure in Guyana: A Biogeographic Analysis. International Journal of Primatology 21, 333–351 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005454317333

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