Black-striped Capuchin
Encyclopedia
The black-striped capuchin, Cebus libidinosus, also known as the bearded capuchin, is a capuchin monkey
from South America
. It was the first non-ape
primate
where tool usage was documented in the wild, as individuals have been seen cracking nuts
by placing them on a stone "anvil
" while hitting them with another large stone. The black-striped capuchin has traditionally been considered a subspecies
of the tufted capuchin
. On the contrary, the southern population here included in C. libidinosus has sometimes been considered another species, Azaras's capuchin, C. cay (syn.
C. paraguayanus).
The black-striped capuchin is found in the Caatinga
, Cerrado
and Pantanal
of Brazil
, and forests and woodlands in Paraguay
, far eastern Bolivia
and northern Argentina
. Some confusion surrounds the taxon
juruanus, here included as a subspecies of the black-striped capuchin. It has been considered to occur from the upper Juruá River east and south to Mato Grosso
, or alternatively entirely restricted to the region near the upper Juruá River. In the latter case, its range would be surrounded by C apella, leading to doubts over its true taxonomic status.
Capuchin monkey
The capuchins are New World monkeys of the genus Cebus. The range of capuchin monkeys includes Central America and South America as far south as northern Argentina...
from South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. It was the first non-ape
Ape
Apes are Old World anthropoid mammals, more specifically a clade of tailless catarrhine primates, belonging to the biological superfamily Hominoidea. The apes are native to Africa and South-east Asia, although in relatively recent times humans have spread all over the world...
primate
Primate
A primate is a mammal of the order Primates , which contains prosimians and simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment...
where tool usage was documented in the wild, as individuals have been seen cracking nuts
Nut (fruit)
A nut is a hard-shelled fruit of some plants having an indehiscent seed. While a wide variety of dried seeds and fruits are called nuts in English, only a certain number of them are considered by biologists to be true nuts...
by placing them on a stone "anvil
Anvil
An anvil is a basic tool, a block with a hard surface on which another object is struck. The inertia of the anvil allows the energy of the striking tool to be transferred to the work piece. In most cases the anvil is used as a forging tool...
" while hitting them with another large stone. The black-striped capuchin has traditionally been considered a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the tufted capuchin
Tufted Capuchin
The tufted capuchin , also known as brown capuchin or black-capped capuchin is a New World primate from South America...
. On the contrary, the southern population here included in C. libidinosus has sometimes been considered another species, Azaras's capuchin, C. cay (syn.
Synonym (taxonomy)
In scientific nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that is or was used for a taxon of organisms that also goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnaeus was the first to give a scientific name to the Norway spruce, which he called Pinus abies...
C. paraguayanus).
The black-striped capuchin is found in the Caatinga
Caatinga
Caatinga is a type of vegetation, and an ecoregion characterized by this vegetation in the northeastern part of Brazil. The name "Caatinga" is a Tupi word meaning "white forest" or "white vegetation"...
, Cerrado
Cerrado
The Cerrado, is a vast tropical savanna ecoregion of Brazil, particularly in the states of Gioas and Minas Gerais...
and Pantanal
Pantanal
The Pantanal is a tropical wetland and one of the world's largest wetland of any kind. Most of it lies within the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, but it extends into Mato Grosso and portions of Bolivia and Paraguay, sprawling over an area estimated at between and...
of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, and forests and woodlands in Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, far eastern Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
and northern Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. Some confusion surrounds the taxon
Taxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
juruanus, here included as a subspecies of the black-striped capuchin. It has been considered to occur from the upper Juruá River east and south to Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso is one of the states of Brazil, the third largest in area, located in the western part of the country.Neighboring states are Rondônia, Amazonas, Pará, Tocantins, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul. It also borders Bolivia to the southwest...
, or alternatively entirely restricted to the region near the upper Juruá River. In the latter case, its range would be surrounded by C apella, leading to doubts over its true taxonomic status.