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TÍTULO

TRENDS AND BIASES IN SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE ABOUT MARMOSETS, GENUS CALLITHRIX (PRIMATES, CALLITRICHIDAE): BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION PERSPECTIVES

Resumo

Marmosets of the genus Callithrix are small-bodied platyrrhines, endemic to Brazil. In the last 30 years, there has been a constant interest in studying their biology, ecology and conservation. In this study, we have performed a systematic review to evaluate the trends and advances of marmoset research, from a biodiversity and a conservation perspective. We described the tendencies in the number of articles per year of publication, per biome, per species and per species geographical distribution. We also investigated the conservation status of marmosets through the changes in their Red List category, and how many protected areas are used for conservation of each species. We searched for articles published in peer-reviewed journals within the main academic search engines, using the keywords “marmoset” OR “sagui” OR “Callithrix”. Regarding Callithrix conservation, we searched for previously published Red List assessments to show changes in each species’ conservation category. We also visited the conservation action sub-session on the IUCN home page to verify the number and average size of protected areas for each marmoset species. We found 68 published articles with a focus on biodiversity and conservation. The number of articles has increased over the years, most of them consisting of research from the Atlantic Forest domain. Callithrix penicillata (26 articles) and C. jacchus (21) were the most studied species. Callithrix penicillata and C. jacchus have the broadest geographical distribution, occurring in the Atlantic Forest, Caatinga and Cerrado. Both species are classified as least concern (LC) by the IUCN classification. On the other hand, C. flaviceps and C. kuhlii have the narrowest geographical distribution, occurring exclusively on the Atlantic Forest, and are respectively classified as endangered (EN) and near threatened (NT), according to the IUCN. The number of studies was associated with the species’ geographical distribution. From a conservation perspective, the most threatened species showed the narrowest geographical distribution, a lower number of studies and, in average, a smaller protected area size. The analysis of scientific production was important to reveal a broad range of studies on the genus Callithrix. We also found the need for further research in the Caatinga and Cerrado biomes, although there is an important volume of knowledge for certain populations of C. jacchus and C. penicillata. Some species endemic to the Atlantic Forest, such as C. flaviceps and C. kuhlii, need more attention, considering their IUCN status. The trends observed can be justified not by the species distribution, abundance or conservation importance, but by the distribution of the main research groups and graduate programs in Brazil, concentrated on the southeastern Atlantic Forest. Therefore, a shift in the geographical focus of research is needed to increase conservation and biodiversity knowledge of the most endangered species of this versatile and charismatic genus.

Palavras-chave

Atlantic Forest, threatened species, IUCN categories.