Pitheciids are small to medium-sized monkeys, ranging from 23 cm in head-body length for the smaller titis, to 44–49 cm for the uakaris. They have medium to long fur, in a wide range of colors, often with contrasting patches, especially on the face.
They are diurnal and arboreal animals, found in tropical forests from low-lying swamp to mountain slopes. They are predominantly herbivorous, eating mostly fruit and seeds, although some species will also eat a small number of insects. Sakis and uakaris have a diastema between the canine and premolar teeth, but the titis, which have unusually small canines for New World monkeys, do not.[2] All species have the dental formula: 2.1.3.32.1.3.3
Females give birth to a single young after a gestation period of between four and six months, depending on species. The uakaris and bearded sakis are polygamous, living in groups of 8-30 individuals. Each group has multiple males, which establish a dominance hierarchy amongst themselves. The titis and Pithecia sakis, by contrast, are monogamous and live in much smaller family groups.[2]
There are 54 currently recognized extant species of pitheciid monkey, grouped into two subfamilies and six genera.[1][3] Eleven extinct genera known from the fossil record are placed in the family, extending the age of the family to the Miocene.[4][5]
^ abcdBoubli, J. P.; M. N. F. Da Silva; M. V. Amado; T. Hrbek; F. B. Pontual; I. P. Farias (2008). "A Taxonomic Reassessment of Cacajao melanocephalus Humboldt (1811), with the Description of Two New Species". International Journal of Primatology. 29 (3): 723–741. doi:10.1007/s10764-008-9248-7. S2CID26561719.
