Callithrix

Callithrix is a genus of New World monkeys of the family Callitrichidae, the family containing marmosets and tamarins. The genus contains the Atlantic Forest marmosets. The name Callithrix is derived from the Greek words kallos, meaning beautiful, and thrix, meaning hair. The genera Mico and Callibella were formerly considered a subgenus of the genus Callithrix. Callithrix differs from Mico in dental morphology and in geographic distribution — Callithrix species are distributed near the Atlantic coast of Brazil, while Mico species are distributed further inland. Callithrix differs from Callibella in these features, as well as in size, with Callithrix species being significantly larger. Callithrix species differ from the tamarins of the genus Saguinus in that Callithrix has enlarged mandibular incisor teeth the same size as the canine teeth which are used for gouging holes in trees to extract exudates. Some authorities, including Rosenberger (1981), believe that the pygmy marmoset, genus Cebuella, should be included within Callithrix on the basis of genetic studies, although Cebuella is significantly smaller than Callithrix. In general, Callithrix and Mico species tend to form larger groups and live within smaller home ranges, and thus live in higher population densities, than other Callitrichids. But these statistics can vary dramatically among various Callithrix species. C. jacchus and C. pencillata typically have home territories of less than 10 hectares, while other Callithrix species tend to have larger home territories.