Molecular Phylogeny of New World Primates (Platyrrhini) Based on β 2 -Microglobulin DNA Sequences

Neotropical primates, traditionally grouped in the infraorder Platyrrhini, comprise 16 extant genera. Cladistic analyses based on morphological characteristics and molecular data resulted in topologic arrangements depicting disparate phylogenetic relationships, indicating that the evolution of gross morphological characteristics and molecular traits is not necessarily congruent. Here we present a phylogenetic arrangement for all neotropical primate genera obtained from DNA sequence analyses of the β 2 -microglobulin gene. Parsimony, distance, and maximum likelihood analyses favored two families, Atelidae and Cebidae, each containing 8 genera. Atelids were resolved into atelines and pitheciines. The well-supported ateline clade branched into alouattine ( Alouatta ) and ateline ( Ateles, Lagothrix, Brachyteles ) clades. In turn, within the Ateline clade, Lagothrix and Brachyteles were well-supported sister groups. The pitheciines branched into well-supported callicebine ( Callicebus ) and pitheciine ( Pithecia, Cacajao, Chiropotes ) clades. In turn, within the pitheciine clade, Cacajao and Chiropotes were well-supported sister groups. The cebids branched into callitrichine ( Saguinus, Leontopithecus, Callimico, Callithrix–Cebuella ), cebine ( Cebus, Saimiri ), and aotine ( Aotus ) clades. While the callitrichine clade and the groupings of species and genera within this clade were all well supported, the cebine clade received only modest support, and the position of Aotus could not be clearly established. Cladistic analyses favored the proposition of 15 rather than 16 extant genera by including Cebuella pygmaea in the genus Callithrix as the sister group of the Callithrix argentata species group. These analyses also favored the sister grouping of Callimico with Callithrix and then of Leontopithecus with the Callithrix–Callimico clade.