What Owl Monkeys (Aotus spp.) Tell Us About the Dynamics Between Thermo-Energetics and Organismal Biology

Owl monkeys are found in a variety of ecosystems ranging from the highlands of Panama and Colombia, to the Amazon, and to the South American Chaco. As such, the only extant nocturnal primate in the Neotropics experiences contrasting thermal challenges throughout its distribution, investing metabolic energy in thermoregulation appropriately. Thermoregulation is metabolically costly and limits the amount of energy individuals have to search for food, shelter, and mates, directly affecting their survival and reproduction. As a result, these ~1 kg monkeys seem to have developed strategies to balance their high investment in thermoregulation. We present a summary and synthesis of research on the thermo-energetics of captive and wild owl monkeys and describe the morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations they have evolved across their wide geographic distribution. We conclude by proposing a unifying model for the role ambient temperature has in the evolution of these pair-living, sexually monogamous primates.