The Quaternary Cuban platyrrhine Paralouatta varonai and the origin of Antillean monkeys

We describe recently recovered dental and mandibular remains of the Cuban p latyrrhine Paralouatta varonai, previously known from the holotype only (a nearly complete skull with very worn teeth). We also expand on the original description of the type specimen. Paralouatta is one of three extinct taxa of Greater Antillean Quaternary mo nkeys known from craniodental remains. The other two, Xenothrix mcgregori a nd Antillothrix bernensis, occurred in Jamaica and Hispaniola, respectively . It has been common practice to assume that Antillean monkeys were more cl osely related to individual mainland taxa than to each other. Thus, P. varo nai was thought to be related to Alouatta; Antillothrix bernensis to Saimir i or Cebus; and X. mcgregori to Callicebus, or to callitrichines, or even t o be of unknown affinity. With the discovery of well-preserved dental remai ns of Paralouatta, it can now be ascertained that this species was in fact very different from Alouatta. Cladistic analysis reveals a sister-group rel ationship between Antillothrix and Paralouatta, followed on the cladogram b y Xenothrix and Callicebus (last taxon being the closest mainlaind relative of the Antillean clads). This conclusion has an important biogeographic im plication: recognition of an Antillean clade, as advocated here, assumes on ly one primate colonization from the South American mainland, not several a s previously believed. (C) 1999 Academic Press.