BIOCHEMICAL DIVERSITY AND GENETIC DISTANCES IN THE PITHECIINAE SUBFAMILY (PRIMATES, PLATYRRHINI)

One hundred and forty-three sakis (Pithecia), 107 bearded sakis (Chiro potes), and 7 red uakaris (Cacajao) were studied in relation to 18 gen etic loci expressed on blood through electrophoretic techniques. Eight of the 18 loci showed intrapopulational variation. The low level of g enetic diversity found in Pithecia could be a consequence of a decreas e in populational size due to intense habitat destruction. The genetic distances between the species investigated were: Pithecia x Chiropote s: 0.49; Pithecia x Cacajao: 0.57; Cacajao x Chiropotes: 0.18 - 0.20. These results suggest, in accordance with other data, that Chiropotes and Cacajao constitute a sister group within the pithecines.