On the identity of the tamarin AMNH 98303 ("Saguinus fuscicollis tripartitus"; Primates: Haplorrhini: Simiiformes: Platyrrhini: Callitrichidae).

Abstract

The American Museum of Natural History houses the skin of a tamarin (AMNH 98303) labelled as Saguinus fuscicollis tripartitus. However, the specimen does not match the phenotype of this taxon, now named Leontocebus tripartitus, nor that of any other known species or subspecies of Leontocebus. In this note, we review past taxonomic revisions of the genus Saguinus - revisions that were largely driven by the contentious species or subspecies status of the golden-mantled saddleback tamarin S. fuscicollis tripartitus - and compare the phenotype of AMNH 98303 with those of other tamarins in the same genus to discuss the possible status of this specimen.