Linking morphology, performance, and habitat utilization: adaptation across biologically relevant 'levels' in tamarins.

BACKGROUND: Biological adaptation manifests itself at the interface of different biologically relevant 'levels', such as ecology, performance, and morphology. Integrated studies at this interface are scarce due to practical difficulties in study design. We present a multilevel analysis, in which we combine evidence from habitat utilization, leaping performance and limb bone morphology of four species of tamarins to elucidate correlations between these 'levels'. RESULTS: We conducted studies of leaping behavior in the field and in a naturalistic park and found significant differences in support use and leaping performance. Leontocebus nigrifrons leaps primarily on vertical, inflexible supports, with vertical body postures, and covers greater leaping distances on average. In contrast, Saguinus midas and S. imperator use vertical and horizontal supports for leaping with a relatively similar frequency. S. mystax is similar to S. midas and S. imperator in the use of supports, but covers greater leaping distances on average, which are nevertheless shorter than those of L. nigrifrons. We assumed these differences to be reflected in the locomotor morphology, too, and compared various morphological features of the long bones of the limbs. According to our performance and habitat utilization data, we expected the long bone morphology of L. nigrifrons to reflect the largest potential for joint torque generation and stress resistance, because we assume longer leaps on vertical supports to exert larger forces on the bones. For S. mystax, based on our performance data, we expected the potential for torque generation to be intermediate between L. nigrifrons and the other two Saguinus species. Surprisingly, we found S. midas and S. imperator having relatively more robust morphological structures as well as relatively larger muscle in-levers, and thus appearing better adapted to the stresses involved in leaping than the other two. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the complex ways in which behavioral and morphological 'levels' map onto each other, cautioning against oversimplification of ecological profiles when using large interspecific eco-morphological studies to make adaptive evolutionary inferences.

Pied tamarins change their vocal behavior in response to noise levels in the largest city in the Amazon.

Many animal species depend on sound to communicate with conspecifics. However, human-generated (anthropogenic) noise may mask acoustic signals and so disrupt behavior. Animals may use various strategies to circumvent this, including shifts in the timing of vocal activity and changes to the acoustic parameters of their calls. We tested whether pied tamarins (Saguinus bicolor) adjust their vocal behavior in response to city noise. We predicted that both the probability of occurrence and the number of long calls would increase in response to anthropogenic noise and that pied tamarins would temporally shift their vocal activity to avoid noisier periods. At a finer scale, we anticipated that the temporal parameters of tamarin calls (e.g., call duration and syllable repetition rate) would increase with noise amplitude. We collected information on the acoustic environment and the emission of long calls in nine wild pied tamarin groups in Manaus, Brazil. We found that the probability of long-call occurrence increased with higher levels of anthropogenic noise, though the number of long calls did not. The number of long calls was related to the time of day and the distance from home range borders-a proxy for the distance to neighboring groups. Neither long-call occurrence nor call rate was related to noise levels at different times of day. We found that pied tamarins decreased their syllable repetition rate in response to anthropogenic noise. Long calls are important for group cohesion and intergroup communication. Thus, it is possible that the tamarins emit one long call with lower syllable repetition, which might facilitate signal reception. The occurrence and quantity of pied tamarin' long calls, as well as their acoustic proprieties, seem to be governed by anthropogenic noise, time of the day, and social mechanisms such as proximity to neighboring groups.

Diversity and prevalence of zoonotic infections at the animal-human interface of primate trafficking in Peru.

Wildlife trafficking creates favorable scenarios for intra- and inter-specific interactions that can lead to parasite spread and disease emergence. Among the fauna affected by this activity, primates are relevant due to their potential to acquire and share zoonoses - infections caused by parasites that can spread between humans and other animals. Though it is known that most primate parasites can affect multiple hosts and that many are zoonotic, comparative studies across different contexts for animal-human interactions are scarce. We conducted a multi-parasite screening targeting the detection of zoonotic infections in wild-caught monkeys in nine Peruvian cities across three contexts: captivity (zoos and rescue centers, n = 187); pet (households, n = 69); and trade (trafficked or recently confiscated, n = 132). We detected 32 parasite taxa including mycobacteria, simian foamyvirus, bacteria, helminths, and protozoa. Monkeys in the trade context had the highest prevalence of hemoparasites (including Plasmodium malariae/brasilianum, Trypanosoma cruzi, and microfilaria) and enteric helminths and protozoa were less common in pet monkeys. However, parasite communities showed overall low variation between the three contexts. Parasite richness (PR) was best explained by host genus and the city where the animal was sampled. Squirrel (genus Saimiri) and wooly (genus Lagothrix) monkeys had the highest PR, which was ~2.2 times the PR found in tufted capuchins (genus Sapajus) and tamarins (genus Saguinus/Leontocebus) in a multivariable model adjusted for context, sex, and age. Our findings illustrate that the threats of wildlife trafficking to One Health encompass exposure to multiple zoonotic parasites well-known to cause disease in humans, monkeys, and other species. We demonstrate these threats continue beyond the markets where wildlife is initially sold; monkeys trafficked for the pet market remain a reservoir for and contribute to the translocation of zoonotic parasites to households and other captive facilities where contact with humans is frequent. Our results have practical applications for the healthcare of rescued monkeys and call for urgent action against wildlife trafficking and ownership of monkeys as pets.

Growth and microanatomy of the paranasal sinuses in two species of New World monkeys.

Paranasal sinuses of living apes and humans grow with positive allometry, suggesting a novel mechanism for bone enlargement. Here, we examine the paranasal sinuses of the owl monkey (Aotus spp.) and a tamarin (Saguinus midas) across postnatal development. The prediction that paranasal sinuses grow disproportionately faster than the main nasal chamber is tested. We used diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography and histology to study sinuses in eight Aotus and three tamarins ranging from newborn to adult ages. Sinuses were segmented at the mucosa-air cavity interface and measured in volume. All sinuses were lined by a ciliated respiratory epithelium, except for the ethmoid air cells in Aotus, which are lined in part by olfactory epithelium. An age comparison indicates that only the maxillary sinus and ethmoid air cells are present in newborns, and two additional sinuses (invading the orbitosphenoid and the frontal bone), do not appear until late infancy or later. Comparing newborns and adults, the main nasal airway is 10 times larger in the adult Aotus and ~ 6.5 times larger in adult Saguinus. In contrast, the maxillary sinus far exceeds this magnitude of difference: 24 times larger in the adult Aotus and 46 times larger in adult Saguinus. The frontal sinuses add significantly to total paranasal space volume in both species, but this growth is likely delayed until juvenile age. Results suggest ethmoid air cells expand the least. These results support our prediction that most paranasal sinuses have a distinctly higher growth rate compared to the main nasal chamber.

Extensive Independent Amplification of Platy-1 Retroposons in Tamarins, Genus Saguinus.

Platy-1 retroposons are short interspersed elements (SINEs) unique to platyrrhine primates. Discovered in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) genome in 2016, these 100 bp mobile element insertions (MEIs) appeared to be novel drivers of platyrrhine evolution, with over 2200 full-length members across 62 different subfamilies, and strong evidence of ongoing proliferation in C. jacchus. Subsequent characterization of Platy-1 elements in Aotus, Saimiri and Cebus genera, suggested that the widespread mobilization detected in marmoset (family Callithrichidae) was perhaps an anomaly. Two additional Callithrichidae genomes are now available, a scaffold level genome assembly for Saguinus imperator (tamarin; SagImp_v1) and a chromosome-level assembly for Saguinus midas (Midas tamarin; ASM2_v1). Here, we report that each tamarin genome contains over 11,000 full-length Platy-1 insertions, about 1150 are shared by both Saguinus tamarins, 7511 are unique to S. imperator, and another 8187 are unique to S. midas. Roughly 325 are shared among the three callithrichids. We identified six new Platy-1 subfamilies derived from Platy-1-8, with the youngest new subfamily, Platy-1-8c_Saguinus, being the primary source of the Saguinus amplification burst. This constitutes the largest expansion of Platy-1 MEIs reported to date and the most extensive independent SINE amplification between two closely related species.

Precursors and aftermath of severe targeted aggression in captive cotton-top tamarins.

We observed a zoo-housed group of cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) before and after a bout of severe targeted aggression directed towards two of its members. The aggression was so severe and repeated that the zoo personnel was forced to remove the two victims and the main aggressor. In the tense period that preceded removal, the tamarins showed increased aggression, a steeper and linear dominance hierarchy, and reduced post-conflict reconciliation compared to the period following removal. In contrast, affiliative interactions such as grooming and peaceful food transfers did not differ in the two periods of observations. Patterns of reciprocity also remained stable. These results highlight the flexibility of tamarin social relationships and provide useful information for managing captive colonies and improving animal welfare.

Is inferential reasoning a distinctly human cognitive feature? Testing reasoning in cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus).

Logical inference is often assumed a human-unique ability, although many species of apes and monkeys have shown some facility within a two-cup task in which one cup is baited, the primate is shown the cup which is empty (an exclusion cue), and subsequently chooses the other baited cup. In published reports, New World monkey species show a limited ability to choose successfully, often with half or more of the subjects tested not showing the ability with auditory cues or with exclusion cues. In this study, five cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) were tested in a two-cup task with visual or auditory cues which revealed the presence or absence of bait, and in a second study, were tested with a four-cup array using a variety of walls to define the baiting space and a variety of visual cues including inclusion and exclusion. Tamarins demonstrated the ability to use either visual or auditory exclusion cues to find rewards in the two-cup study, although the visual cue required some exposure before accuracy was expressed. Experiment 2 revealed that two of three tamarins' first guesses to find rewards matched best a logic model. When they made errors, they typically chose cups adjacent to the cued location or made choices that seemed generated from avoiding empty cups. These results suggest that tamarins can deduce the location of food using reasoning, although the ability is only applied robustly to first guesses, while second guesses are motivated by approach/avoidance and proximity to cued locations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Chylothorax associated with pulmonary compressive atelectasis in an emperor tamarin (Saguinus imperator).

Chylothorax is the accumulation of lymph in the thoracic cavity, and it has never been reported in neotropical primates. An emperor tamarin died and at necropsy chylothorax associated with pulmonary compressive atelectasis was diagnosed. Idiopathic chylothorax can be a cause of respiratory insufficiency and death in tamarins.

Taxonomic review of Saguinus mystax (Spix, 1823) (Primates, Callitrichidae), and description of a new species.

Although the Amazon has the greatest diversity of primates, there are still taxonomic uncertainties for many taxa, such as the species of the Saguinus mystax group. The most geographically broadly distributed and phenotypically diverse species in this group is S. mystax, and its phenotypic diversity has been recognized as three subspecies-S. mystax mystax, S. mystax pileatus and S. mystax pluto-with non-overlapping geographic distributions. In this sense, we carried out an extensive field survey in their distribution areas and used a framework of taxonomic hypothesis testing of genomic data combined with an integrative taxonomic decision-making framework to carry out a taxonomic revision of S. mystax. Our tests supported the existence of three lineages/species. The first species corresponds to Saguinus mystax mystax from the left bank of the Juruá River, which was raised to the species level, and we also discovered and described animals from the Juruá-Tefé interfluve previously attributed to S. mystax mystax as a new species. The subspecies S. m. pileatus and S. m. pluto are recognized as a single species, under a new nomenclatural combination. However, given their phenotypic distinction and allopatric distribution, they potentially are a manifestation of an early stage of speciation, and therefore we maintain their subspecific designations.

Morphological significance of the medial brachial cutaneous nerve: An anatomical study of the brachial plexus in primates.

The medial brachial cutaneous nerve (MBC) originates from the medial cord of the brachial plexus and innervates the skin sensory in the medial posterior surface of the upper arm. Considering previous reports of the primate brachial plexus, the MBC appeared to be the sole branch in the brachial plexus that only some primates possess. However, the detailed descriptions and records regarding the morphology of the MBC and related nerves, their origins and distributions (dermatomes) in particular, were frequently lacked in the previous reports, and it remains unclear why the difference in the MBC appearance exists among primates. In this study, the brachial plexus and its branches were first re-evaluated and certainly identified in several primates, humans, chimpanzee, macaque monkey, lutung, tamarin, squirrel monkey, and spider monkey. The MBC was identified in humans, chimpanzee, spider monkey, and squirrel monkey. In the other species, the intercostobrachial nerve (ICB) originating from some of 1st to 3rd intercostal nerves developed and distributed instead of the MBC. According to the kinesiological and behavioral studies, the former species possessing MBC show high shoulder joint mobility associated with their locomotive patterns. We speculate that the MBC corresponds to transformed ICB; specifically, where it originates presumably transfers from the 1st and/or 2nd intercostal nerves to the brachial plexus, which allows it to reach the upper arm by coursing the shortest distance even if the forelimb is raised high. Therefore, MBC may embody phylogenetic morphogenesis of the nerve associated with the locomotive evolution and adaptation in primate forelimb.

Proyecto Titi: Teaching children that cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) are not appropriate pets.

Cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) are a critically endangered species found only in Colombia. Their survival is threatened by extensive habitat destruction and the illegal pet trade. Because many people in Colombia have a low level of awareness of cotton-top tamarins and even less understanding of the impacts that the illegal pet trade has on the species and its long-term survival, Proyecto Tití has developed a series of programs for children in rural elementary schools that introduce children to cotton-top tamarins. This study examines Proyecto Titi's efforts to reduce the desire to have a cotton-top tamarin as a pet with outcomes focused specifically on (1) creating an emotional connection between people and cotton-top tamarins, (2) identifying the feelings and understanding the challenges that cotton-top tamarin face when they are kept as pets, and (3) empowering students to make positive choices to help cotton-top tamarins. Both TITI KIDS and TITIRITIANDO programs helped students to (1) increase their knowledge of cotton-top tamarins, (2) understand the damage that the pet trade has on individual animals and the long-term survival of cotton-top tamarins and (3) provide practical actions that they can engage in to protect cotton-top tamarins for the future. Our hope is that students from our programs become advocates for conservation in their communities and assist in the long-term conservation activities to protect cotton-top tamarins in Colombia.

Do zoo animals use off-exhibit areas to avoid noise? A case study exploring the influence of sound on the behavior, physiology, and space use of two pied tamarins (Saguinus bicolor).

Noise can be a known stressor but our understanding of its effects on animals living in zoo environments remains limited. Although exposure to loud, chronic noise may be expected to negatively impact welfare, providing access to quiet areas to escape loud noise may buffer these negative effects. In this study, we explored the benefits of access to quiet, off-exhibit areas for animals living in a chronically loud sound environment. Two pied tamarins (Saguinus bicolor) living near a large waterfall feature that emitted loud, chronic noise were experimentally exposed to varying sound levels during 2-week treatment conditions. Baseline conditions (waterfall feature on and access to quiet, off-exhibit areas), were followed by a Quiet sound condition (waterfall off), a Loud sound condition (waterfall on and a speaker in the off-exhibit area playing volume-matched white noise), and a final Baseline condition. During Baseline conditions, sound levels were greater than 10 dBA higher in the exhibit than in the off-exhibit area (i.e., roughly twice as loud). The number of visitor groups present during behavior observations were consistent throughout the study. Both tamarins modified their space use during treatment conditions. Under Baseline conditions, both individuals showed frequent usage of quiet, off-exhibit areas. During the Quiet and Loud conditions, where sound levels were generally consistent across spaces, both individuals used off-exhibit areas less and their use of exhibit and off-exhibit areas was not significantly different than would be expected by chance, given the size of the areas. Additional behavioral changes were minimal. No significant differences in fecal glucocorticoid metabolites were observed. Although the monkeys in this study appeared to avoid noise, the overall impact on welfare appeared to be minimal considering the limited behavioral and hormonal changes observed. This study highlights the potential benefits of off-exhibit spaces as a quiet refuge from noise in the zoo environment.

Evaluating genital skin color as a putative sexual signal in wild saddleback (Leontocebus weddelli) and emperor (Saguinus imperator) tamarins.

Coevolution between signalers and receivers has played a significant role in the diversity of animal signals and sensory systems. Platyrrhines (monkeys in the Americas) exhibit a remarkable color vision polymorphism that may have been selected by both natural and sexual selection, but sociosexual color signaling among platyrrhines has received almost no attention. Here, we study the color of reproductive skin among different reproductive classes in free-ranging female saddleback (Leontocebus weddelli) and emperor (Saguinus imperator) tamarins, modeling color spaces, and contrasts for the different visual systems. We find that the chromatic saturation and luminance of genital color vary between reproductive classes in saddleback tamarins. Chromatic contrast between the vulva and belly is lower in the parous females (PFs) relative to adult but not currently breeding females, while achromatic contrast is higher in PFs in saddleback tamarins relative to nonparous females. However, in emperor tamarins, genital color (saturation, hue, and luminance) does not vary between reproductive classes. Overall, genital skin color variation is present in tamarins and may play a role in sexual signaling. Nevertheless, the patterns are inconsistent between species, suggesting interspecific variation. Future studies should integrate the perceiver's behavioral responses and the physical and social signaling environments into comprehensive studies of communication as well as consider the role and interaction between multiple sensory modalities.

Timing of the luteal-placental shift is delayed with additional fetuses in litter-bearing callitrichid monkeys, Saguinus oedipus and Callithrix jacchus.

The luteal-placental shift is an important milestone of mammalian pregnancy signifying when endocrine control of pregnancy shifts from the corpus luteum of the ovary to the placenta. The corpus luteum is maintained by chorionic gonadotropin (CG). Upon sufficient placental maturation, CG production wanes, the corpus luteum involutes, and control is shifted to the placenta, one consequence of which is a midgestational rise in glucocorticoid production, especially cortisol and cortisone, by both mother and fetus. Glucocorticoids are involved in initiating parturition, prenatal programming of offspring phenotype, and maturing fetal organs. Limited evidence from human pregnancy suggests that the timing of this shift is delayed in twin pregnancies, but little is known about the timing of the luteal-placental shift in litter-bearing monkeys from the primate family Callitrichidae. Here we provide evidence from cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) and common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) of longer duration of elevated CG associated with multiple infant births compared to single births. Urinary profiles from cotton-top tamarins demonstrate that the decline of the extended elevation of CG precedes the onset of the midpregnancy sustained rise in glucocorticoids; this shift occurs later with an increase from one to two fetuses carried to term. In the common marmoset, the onset of the sustained rise of glucocorticoids in maternal urine is also delayed with an increase in infant number. Total urinary glucocorticoid levels during the last half of gestation increase monthly but do not differ by infant number. The significant delay in the luteal-placental shift suggests a longer period of placental maturation is needed to support a greater number of fetuses.

Consistent second-order motor planning by cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus): Evidence from a dowel task.

One of the hallmarks of complex motor planning in humans involves grasping objects in preparation for future actions, termed second-order motor planning. This ability has an extended developmental trajectory in humans and is also shared with nonhuman primates. Here, we presented seven cotton-top tamarins with a dowel task that has prompted variable grasping behaviors for some primate species. Tamarins could use either an efficient grasp to bring food stuck onto the end of a dowel to their mouth (radial grasp) or an inefficient grasp that required repositioning (ulnar grasp). The tamarins were very consistent in their use of radial grasps. These data support the morphological constraint theory suggesting that species with limited dexterity (inability to perform precision grasps) may demonstrate more consistent second-order motor planning due to the increased cost of inefficient grasping postures. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The impacts of seasonal variation and climate on food utilization in a population of critically endangered cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) in Colombia: A 22-year longitudinal study.

To examine how precipitation patterns and climate change impact feeding choices made by a population of critically endangered cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus), we examined 22 years of feeding data (1999-2020) from 21 groups collected at Parque Natural Regional Bosque Seco El Ceibal Mono Tití in Santa Catalina, Colombia. We describe the diet and examine the role of seasonal rainfall and annual variation in rainfall on diet. Rainfall is highly seasonal (mean annual rainfall 1562 mm [range 940-2680 mm]) with a dry, early rainy, and late rainy season in each year. Over 80 species of plants formed part of the fruit, nectar, and exudate components of the diet. Fruits, although available year-round, were more commonly available and consumed during the late rainy seasons (August-November). Exudates were consumed more frequently in the dry season (December-March) and invertebrate consumption was stable across the year. Nectar feeding from a single species (Combretum fruticosum) peaked in November. Rainfall varied over the years, with 13 years exceeding the 99% confidence intervals for mean rainfall. Ten of these extreme years (both drought and extremely wet) occurred in the last 11 years. Fruit consumption did not vary between extreme and average years, but cotton-top tamarins consumed more invertebrates and exudates in wet years. Presently, cotton-top tamarins appear to be able to cope with these extreme variations in rainfall due to their highly varied diet. However, the forests that these primates depend upon for survival are threatened by human exploitation making it critically important to maintain a generalist feeding strategy for survival as many fruiting trees that compose a large proportion of the diet are removed. As conservation efforts continue, plant species consumed by cotton-top tamarins provide useful data when selecting species for habitat restoration programs.

Rules and metarules: Adult cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) and 5-year-old children (Homo sapiens) can master both.

Developmental psychologists have noted a similar timeline of change for children's use of different perspectives about the same objects or events, as in the use of different labels for the same object, an aspect of language, and in understanding other's knowledge or beliefs, an aspect of social cognition as reviewed in the study by Neiworth et al. Comparative psychologists are interested to know what cognitive flexibility looks like in other species and how such variation relates to life history, ecology, and phylogeny. The general pattern of results to date indicates that monkeys can master both intra- and interdimensional shifts, but intradimensional shifts are learned far more quickly than interdimensional shifts (reviewed in the study by Neiworth et al, 2022). Neiworth et al. report that they have conducted exactly this kind of comparative study: They examined cognitive flexibility in adult cotton-top tamarins and human children in three age groups as they participated in a modified version of the Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS). Neiworth et al.'s study offers an example of careful consideration of one such possibility: that of using the experimenter's postural orientation to the cards as an inadvertent aid. Here the authors had the benefit of prior work showing that tamarins follow human-provided cues to make a spatially discriminated choice only if the experimenter's head, body, and eyes oriented to a particular location. Thus, in this study, the experimenter kept their head and body centered in the testing space between the two cards and looked at a point on the wall directly behind the midpoint of the testing tray. But the DCCS task, in abstract form, has potentially broader comparative value than to examine cognitive flexibility in primates alone. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Phylogenetics and an updated taxonomic status of the Tamarins (Callitrichinae, Cebidae).

Traditionally, Saguinus has been organized into six taxonomic groups: bicolor, inustus, midas, mystax, nigricollis, and oedipus. After recent revisions, taxonomic reclassifications were proposed, including (1) the recognition of Leontocebus as a new genus, and (2) the subdivision of Saguinus into three subgenera. Nonetheless, the contradictory nature of these results reinforces the inconsistency concerning the monophyletic status of tamarins and its interspecific phylogeny. Therefore, in this study, we carried out phylogenetic inferences of Saguinus based on 44 molecular markers, of which 37 were from nuclear DNA and seven from mitochondrial DNA. A final dataset of 24,202 base pairs (bp) was obtained from 60 specimens of all recognized species of Saguinus and, also representatives of two main lineages of Leontocebus. Phylogenetic hypothesis was obtained from Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) methods. We also construct a Species Tree and a fossil-calibrated multi-locus phylogeny to estimate the time of divergence of Tamarins. Our phylogenetic results validated Leontocebus, or nigricollis group, as monophyletic, and recovered additionally three main clades within Saguinus. Same topology was obtained by the Species Tree. These clades correspond to (1) inustus + mystax groups, (2) oedipus group and (3) bicolor + midas group. Our results show support for a 10.5-million-year-old split between Leontocebus and the remaining Saguinus, followed by two other cladogenetic events, around 9.3 and 7.2 mya, which lead to the rise of the main clades of Saguinus. These phylogenetic data, in concert with the consistent morphological, ecological behavior and biogeographic evidence suggest a new classification for the Amazonian and trans-Andean tamarins. Therefore, we support the validation of Leontocebus as genus and recommend the split of Saguinus into three genera: (1) Tamarinus (inustus and mystax groups), (2) Oedipomidas (oedipus group), and (3) Saguinus (bicolor and midas groups).

Streptococcus pasteurianus-induced valvular endocarditis and sepsis in a puerperal emperor tamarin (Saguinus imperator).

Streptococcus pasteurianus is associated with endocarditis and sepsis in humans. A puerperal emperor tamarin died, and necropsy showed a bacterial endocarditis with sepsis. DNA sequencing from the paraffinized heart tissue was compatible with S. pasteurianus. S. pasteurianus could be an important agent associated with sepsis in tamarins.