Antilles monkey
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| Antilles monkeys | ||||||||||||||
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Xenothrix mcgregori Paralouatta varonai Antillothrix bernensis |
The Antilles monkeys (Xenotrichini) are a tribe of extinct primates, which lived on the Greater Antilles as recently as the 16th century.
These Caribbean islands no longer contain endemic primates, although the most recently discovered species, the Hispaniola Monkey, was reported to have lived on Hispaniola until the settlement by the Europeans. The relationship of these species is supported by details in the formation of the skull and the lower jaw, such as a reduction in the number of teeth.
The exact timing and causes of extinction are not well known and their relationship and placement in the parvorder of the New World monkeys is unsure. Originally they were thought to be closely related to the Night monkeys, but more recent research as placed them in Callicebinae subfamily, containing the titi monkeys.
So far, three species of Antilles monkeys are known:
- Jamaican Monkey (Xenothrix mcgregori), the oldest known type, from Jamaica.
- Cuban Monkey (Paralouatta varonai), the largest representative of this group, from Cuba.
- Hispaniola Monkey (Antillothrix bernensis), found in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
