A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF 11 PROTEIN SYSTEMS IN TAMARINS, GENUS SAGUINUS(PLATYRRHINI, CALLITRICHINAE)

The genetic variability of six tamarin taxa, genus Saguinus, was analy zed comparatively using protein data from eleven systems coded by 15 l oci. S. fuscicollis weddelli and S. midas midas were the most polymorp hic taxa, and S. bicolor the least. The results of the phylogenetic an alyses (UPGMA and neighbor-joining) and the genetic distances between taxa were generally consistent with their geographic and probable phyl ogenetic relationships. Analyses of the S. bicolor and S. midas popula tions suggested that;hey represent no more than three subspecies of a single species, S. midas, with the bicolor forms belonging to a single subspecies, S. midas bicolor. If supported by additional studies, thi s would have important implications for the conservation of the bicolo r form, which is endangered with extinction. The genetic similarity of S. fuscicollis and S. mystax was also consistent with their geographi cal and morphological proximity, although more data from a larger numb er of taxa will be required before the taxonomic relationships within the genus can be defined.