Variation in the vocalizations of tamarins (Saguinus) in Amazonian Peru

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McClung, M. R. 2006. Variation in the vocalizations of tamarins (Saguinus) in Amazonian Peru. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, MS Thesis. 

Abstract:

Tamarins (Saguinus) are a diverse genus of Amazonian primates with distributions that often coincide with rivers. This distributional pattern might be explained by the riverine barrier hypothesis, which suggests that rivers reduce gene flow by limiting dispersal. I investigated the differences in vocalizations among populations of Saguinus separated by rivers of different widths. I recorded alarm calls and long calls of four populations of Saguinus in three river compartments of northeastern Peru. ANOVAs and hierarchical clustering of call parameters showed that differences between populations did not reflect patterns expected by the riverine barrier hypothesis. Instead, differences among long calls reflected a recent phylogeny. Alarm calls diverged in sympatric populations, contrary to patterns of convergent evolution of alarm calls in other coexisting animals. Perhaps alarm calls are more important for the coordination of conspecific groups than previously thought.

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