Mammalian Diversity and Matses Ethnomammalogy in Amazonian Peru Part 1: Primates

2011·1.9 MB·English

by  Robert S. Voss

MAMMALIAN DIVERSITY AND MATSES
ETHNOMAMMALOGY IN AMAZONIAN PERU
PART 1: PRIMATES
ROBERT S. VOSS
Division of Vertebrate Zoology (Mammalogy)
American Museum of Natural History
DAVID W. FLECK
Division of Anthropology
American Museum of Natural History
BULLETINOFTHEAMERICANMUSEUMOFNATURALHISTORY
Number351, 81pp., 3 figures,25tables
IssuedApril29,2011
CopyrightEAmericanMuseumofNaturalHistory2011 ISSN0003-0090
CONTENTS
Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
The Yavar´ı-Ucayali Interfluve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Human Communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
History of Mammalogical Exploration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Materials and Methods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Ethnobiological Methods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Primate Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Systematic Accounts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Atelidae. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Cebidae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Pitheciidae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Discussion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Primate Diversity in the Yavar´ı-Ucayali Interfluve. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Matses Interactions with Local Primate Species. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Matses Knowledge of Primate Natural History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Matses Folk Classification and Nomenclature of Primates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Appendix 1: Sample Natural History Monolog about Woolly Monkeys . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Appendix 2: Gazetteer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
2
ABSTRACT
This report is the first installment of a monographic study of mammalian diversity and
ethnomammalogy in a sparsely inhabited rainforest region between the Yavar´ı and Ucayali
riversinnortheasternPeru.Ourstudyisbasedonseverallargecollectionsofmammals(totaling
about3500specimens)madeatvariouslocalitiesinthisregionbetween1926and2003,andon
our long-term ethnobiological and linguistic fieldwork with the Matses, a Panoan-speaking
group of indigenous Amazonians who still obtain most of their dietary protein by hunting
mammals. Our primary objectives are to document the species richness of the regional fauna
through taxonomic analysis of collected specimens, and to assess the detail and accuracy of
Matses knowledge ofmammaliannaturalhistory bylinguistic analysisof recordedinterviews.
Theregionalprimatefaunaisdefinitelyknowntoconsistofatleast14speciesdocumentedby
collectedspecimensand/orrepeatedsightingsoftaxawithvisuallyconspicuousdiagnostictraits.
This fauna includes three atelids (Alouatta seniculus, Ateles belzebuth, Lagothrix lagothricha),
eight cebids (Aotus nancymaae, Callimico goeldii, Callithrix pygmaea, Cebus albifrons, Cebus
apella, Saguinus fuscicollis, Saguinus mystax, Saimiri sciureus), and three pitheciids (Cacajao
calvus,Callicebuscupreus,Pitheciamonachus).All14speciesareknowntooccursympatrically
at one inventory site, but Goeldi’s monkey (Callimico goeldii) is rare and uakaris (Cacajao
calvus) seem to be patchily distributed, so some local faunas may have only 12 or even fewer
species.Thisregionalfaunaisuniquebecauseneighboringinterfluvialregionslacksomespecies
that are present in the Yavar´ı-Ucayaliinterfluve, and because some species that are present in
neighboring interfluvialregions are notknowntooccurbetween the Yavar´ı and the Ucayali.
Matses knowledge about primate natural history is clearly correlated with size and cultural
importance. For example, information obtained from standardized interviews about spider
monkeys (Ateles belzebuth, a large game species) can be parsed into 86 observations about its
ecology and/or behavior, whereas interviews about pygmy marmosets (Callithrix pygmaea, a
small nongame species) contain only nine observations on these topics. Item-by-item
comparisons of Matses observations about spider monkeys with the published results of
scientific field research suggests that the Matses are generally accurate observers of primate
naturalhistory,aconclusionthatisadditionallysupportedbycomparingcommunitypatternsof
resource use compiled from our interview data with community-ecological studies of primate
faunas in the scientific literature. Most exceptions (discrepancies between Matses observations
andthescientificliterature)canbeexplainedbyculturalinattentiontosmallnongamespecies.
AlthoughtheseresultssuggestthatarchivingnativeAmazonianknowledgeaboutmammalian
natural history might be a cost-effective alternative to lengthy fieldwork for some research
objectives, there are significant linguistic barriers than can inhibit effective cross-cultural
communication. Among the Matses, these include a surprisingly large number of zoologically
redundant names (synonyms and hyponyms). Relevant primate examples are discussed in
substantivedetail.
INTRODUCTION ally deposit and rework millions of tons of
nutrient-rich sediments weathered from the
South of the Amazon and west of the Rio Andes, building newland on alternate banks
Madeiraisoneofthelargestremainingtracts while eroding old land from the opposite
ofintactlowlandrainforestontheplanet.To shores.Oxbowlakesandpalmswampsmark
an observer rising in a small plane from one the location of extinct river channels in the
ofthefewdirtairstripsscratchedinthegreen same floodplain landscapes, whose complex-
hideofforestthatstillstretchesfromhorizon ity and dynamic nature are now apparent
to horizon, the landscape seems static and from satellite imagery. Between the river
monotonous,butthegeologicalrealityisnot. floodplains, however, and comprising by far
Writhing like enormous snakes within the the most extensive habitat in southwestern
broad confines of their meander belts, great Amazonia,arevasthillywedgesofunbroken
white-water rivers with catchment basins uplandforest.Dissectedbysmallstreamstoo
larger than many European countries annu- narrow even for canoe travel, the roadless
3
4 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OFNATURALHISTORY NO.351
interiorsofmanyoftheseinterfluvialregions Amazonian mammals, information that re-
remain largely inaccessible and biologically sidesinthecollectiveknowledgeofindigenous
unexplored. cultures. Native Amazonians hunt monkeys,
The mammalian fauna that inhabits this ungulates, xenarthrans, rodents, and other
richly textured terrain is the product of mammals for dietary protein (Vickers, 1984;
unique historical events (Simpson, 1969, Milton,1991;Cormier,2007);theyoftenkeep
1980; Patterson and Pascual, 1972; Marshall young mammals as household pets (Erikson,
and Sempere, 1993; Flynn and Wyss, 1998). 2000); they use mammalian hides, teeth, and
Separated by open seaways from other claws asornaments; theykeep a watchful eye
landmassesthroughoutmuchoftheTertiary, out for dangerous felids; and they have
SouthAmericawasanislandcontinentwhere abundant opportunities to observe many
a few founding clades (marsupials, xenar- other species of little or no cultural impor-
thrans, archaic ‘‘ungulates’’) and early over- tance.Peoplewhoseverylivesdependonclose
water colonists (primates, caviomorph ro- observation of the natural world can be
dents)radiatedinisolationfromneighboring presumed to know a great deal about the
faunas in North America and Antarctica. fauna that surrounds them, but the extent of
Then, beginning in the late Miocene, but whattheyknow has seldom beenassayed.
accelerating dramatically after the Panama- This study, the result of a multiyear
nian landbridge emerged in the Pliocene, a collaborationbetweenasystematicmammal-
flood of immigrant taxa—proboscideans, ogist (Voss) and an anthropological linguist
carnivores, deer, peccaries, tapirs, lago- (Fleck), has two main objectives. The first is
morphs, and cricetid rodents—mingled with to document the taxonomic diversity of an
the old endemic elements and, briefly, result- intact mammalian fauna in a sparsely popu-
ed in what was perhaps the most diverse lated region of western Amazonia, and the
continental fauna that has ever existed. second is to document the ethnomammalo-
Although mammalian diversity in South gicalknowledgeofthepeoplewholivethere.
America was subsequently winnowed by Below we introduce the geographic and
Pleistocene extinctions, the causes of which anthropological context of our study, review
are still controversial (Vrba, 1993; Lessa and previous fieldwork that has contributed to
Farin˜a,1996;WebbandRancey,1996;Lessa what is currently known about the local
et al., 1997), Amazonian lowland rainforests fauna, and report the results of our taxo-
still support globally maximal numbers of nomic and ethnobiological research on pri-
sympatric mammalian species (Voss and mates. The taxonomy and ethnobiology of
Emmons, 1996). nonprimate mammals will be treated in
Scientific knowledge of Amazonian mam- subsequent reports.
mals began with the 18th century ‘‘Viagem
Filoso´fica’’ofAlexandreRodriguesFerreira, The Yavar´ı-Ucayali Interfluvial Region
and continued in fits and starts with notable
19th-century contributions from Humboldt, The area encompassed by our study is
Spix, Natterer, Tschudi, and d’Orbigny bounded by four rivers—the Yavar´ı, the
(Hershkovitz, 1987a). Professional collectors Ucayali, the Tapiche, and the Amazon—in
in the early 20th century contributed much the Peruvian department of Loreto (figs. 1,
additional material for museum taxonomists 2).Forbrevity, wewill referto this region as
to work with, but reliable information about theYavar´ı-Ucayaliinterfluvetodistinguishit
the natural history of Amazonian mammals from neighboring regions delimited by other
wasnotforthcominguntiltheadventoflong- Amazonian tributaries.1 Most of this region
termfieldstudiesinthelastfewdecades(e.g., consists of densely forested hills, usually less
Terborgh, 1983; Dubost, 1988; Emmons,
1988; Bodmer, 1990). Unfortunately, only a 1Note that the Yavar´ı is known as the Javari in Brazil and
handful of species in a few local faunas have that the Brazilian spelling often appears on English-language
been studied in depth. maps. The Yavar´ı-Ucayali interfluve includes parts of three
Peruvianadministrativedistricts(provincias)—MariscalRamo´n
There are, however, other sources of
Castilla, Maynas, and Requena—that sometimes appear on
information about the natural history of specimenlabels.
2011 VOSS AND FLECK:PRIMATEDIVERSITY AND ETHNOBIOLOGY INPERU 5
Fig. 1. The Yavar´ı-Ucayali interfluve (shaded) in relation to surrounding geographical features of
westernAmazonia.
than 200 m above sea level, that are drained the region (Kalliola et al., 1993). Local
by small clear-water, black-water, or mixed- soils—weathered from Miocene lacustrine
water(darkbutturbid)streams.TheUcayali deposits of the Pebas Formation (Hoorn,
and the Amazon, however, are huge, sedi- 1993;Wesselinghetal.,2002)andfrommore
ment-laden, white-water rivers with broad recently deposited fluvial sediments—include
floodplains characterized by ridge-and-swale a wide variety of variously colored clays,
topography (Lamotte, 1990; Puhakka et al., sandyclayloams,andsandyloams,butthere
1992), and the Tapiche drains an extensive are also extensive areas of white quartz sand
low-lying flood basin in the western part of along the upper R´ıo Blanco (a right-bank
6 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OFNATURALHISTORY NO.351
Fig. 2. Faunal inventory sites and collecting localities within the Yavar´ı-Ucayali interfluve (see
appendix2forgeographiccoordinatesandotherinformation).Inset:Faunalinventorysitesinornearthe
Tamshiyacu-Tahuayowatersheds(EBQB5 Estacio´n Biolo´gicaQuebradaBlanco).
tributary of the Tapiche) and in the adjacent Herrera,theaverageannualrainfallisalmost
headwater region of the R´ıo Ga´lvez (a left- 2900 mm, but as little as 1800 mm has been
banktributaryoftheYavar´ı;Stallard,2006). recorded at this site in some years and as
Rocks crop out in the remote headwaters of much as 4000 mm in others (Lo´pez-Parodi
the R´ıo Tapiche and the R´ıo Yaquerana— and Freitas, 1990). As in most other equato-
which both arise in the Sierra del Divisor rialregions,seasonaltemperaturevariationis
(Vriesendorp et al., 2006b)—but stones are trivial, but monthly rainfall exhibits signifi-
unknown (except as exotic curiosities) else- cant variation. Typically, either March or
where in the region, where streams have April is the wettest month and either July or
sandy or muddy bottoms. Augustthedriest(e.g.,atJenaroHerreraand
The local climate is hot and wet, with an Angamos; Marengo, 1983). Local rivers rise
annual mean temperature close to 26u C and and fall impressively in response to seasonal
annual rainfall that increases from about variation in rainfall. The Ga´lvez, for exam-
2500 mm in the south to about 3000 mm in ple,usuallydropsabout10mfromitshighest
the north (Marengo, 1983). At Jenaro water level in April to its lowest in August.
2011 VOSS AND FLECK:PRIMATEDIVERSITY AND ETHNOBIOLOGY INPERU 7
Whereas broad riverine beaches are exposed are floristically similar to those found else-
inthedryseason,beachesaresubmergedand where in northeastern Peru (e.g., near Iqui-
low-lying riparian forests are extensively tos; Va´squez-Mart´ınez and Phillips, 2000).
flooded (for up to 1 km or more inland Numerically abundant and/or exceptionally
along the upper Yavar´ı) in the rainy season. speciose families of trees at one or more of
Except on seasonally exposed river beach- the upland primary-forest sites visited by
es, and where trees have been cleared for Pitman et al. (2003) and Fine et al. (2006)
agriculture near human settlements, the include (in alphabetical order) Annonaceae,
entire Yavar´ı-Ucayali interfluve is densely Burseraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lecythidaceae,
forested. Although the natural vegetation Leguminosae, Moraceae, Myristicaceae, Pal-
throughout the region can be broadly de- mae, Rubiaceae, Sapindaceae, and Sapota-
scribed as lowland rain forest, strikingly ceae. Striking floristic variation, however,
different forest types occur side by side at wasobservedamonguplandsitesdifferingin
most sites that have been studied to date. soil fertility, with the result that unique sets
Thus, Lo´pez-Parodi and Freitas (1990) rec- of families dominated the tree flora at each
ognized nine types of forest in the vicinity of surveyed locality. Most well-drained sites
Jenaro Herrera, including two seral stages (except those on white sand and on sandy
related to riverine succession, several distinct hill crests) have a dense understory vegeta-
tree communities associated with seasonally tion with abundant giant herbs (e.g., Helico-
or permanently flooded sites, and four kinds niaceae, Marantaceae), dwarf palms, shrubs,
of forest growing on well-drained uplands. and seedling trees; a structurally complex
Otherpublishedsurveysoflocalvegetationin subcanopy; a more or less closed canopy
the region, whether based on indigenous layer at 25–35 m; and scattered emergents
forest classification systems (e.g., Fleck and that may be 40 m or more in height.
Harder, 2000) or rapid assessments by teams Forests growing on permanently water-
of botanical researchers (Pitman et al., 2003; logged soils, although estimated to account
Fine et al., 2006), have likewise stressed the for less than 10% of the regional landscape
importance of succession, flooding regimes, (Pitman et al., 2003), provide seasonally
topography, and soils as local determinants importanthabitatsforlocalwildlife.Flooded
of rainforest physiognomy and floristics. to a depth of a meter or more in the rainy
Diagrammatic vegetation profiles that illus- season,swampforestshavesoilthatismucky
trate the general character and site-to-site underfoot even in the middle of the dry
variability of forest vegetation in the region season. These habitats are much less botan-
are in Bodmer (1990: fig. 2) and Fleck and ically diverse than forests growing on adja-
Harder (2000: figs. 3, 4); color photographs centuplandsites;inoneplotofswampforest
oflocalvegetationareinPitmanetal.(2003) surveyed by Pitman et al. (2003), over half
and Vriesendorp et al. (2006a). the trees belonged to just three families
In general, primary forests growing on (Palmae, Clusiaceae, and Lepidobotryaceae).
well-drained clay and loam soils at upland The most visually conspicuous elements of
sites are taller and more botanically diverse the swamp-forest flora are large palms, of
than seasonally flooded forests, swamp for- which Mauritia flexuosa and Euterpe preca-
ests,forestsgrowingonwhitesand,andearly toria, are usually the most abundant (and
successional stages of floodplain forests. faunally important) species. In general,
According to Pitman et al. (2003), the first swamp forests have a lower and more open
50treessurveyedatanuplandprimary-forest canopy than upland forests and, near major
site with relatively poor soil (about 20 km rivers, they grade into a variety of seasonally
downriverfromColoniaAngamosontheleft flooded riparian formations.
bank of the Yavar´ı) represented 45 species, A complex mosaic of successional flood-
and upland sites with richer soils farther plain habitats is maintained by rapid lateral
downriver appear to support even more channel migration along the Ucayali and the
speciose tree communities. Apparently, these Amazon (Lamotte, 1990; Puhakka et al.,
tall, diverse, climax forests—which probably 1992). Newly formed land (on point bars) is
cover some 80%–90% of the local terrain— first colonized and stabilized by Gynerium
8 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OFNATURALHISTORY NO.351
sagittatum (Gramineae), which forms dense rubber boom of the early 1900s. The scant
canebrakesupto9mhigh.Thesecanebrakes recorded history of the Yavar´ı basin, punc-
are subsequently invaded by several species tuatedatintervalsbybloodyencounterswith
of trees, with distinct seral stages dominated its indigenous inhabitants, was reviewed by
in turn by Cecropia membranacea (Cecropia- Bodmer and Puertas (2003), who noted that
ceae)andFicus insipida (Moraceae). Smaller, the nontribal population of this region has
more slowly meandering rivers in the region been indeclineformany decades. Despite its
(e.g., the Tapiche and the Yavar´ı) have a proximity to Iquitos (a city large enough to
different successional sequence that usually boast an international airport), the Yavar´ı-
begins with a narrow zone of shrubby Ucayali interfluve remains sparsely populat-
vegetation (pioneered by Alchornia castanae- ed. Small communities of nontribal Amazo-
folia [Euphorbiaceae]) rather than cane- nians (variously known as mestizos or
brakes; successive seral stages include some- riberen˜os)arescatteredalongtherightbanks
what more diverse tree communities than of the Ucayali and the Amazon, and a few
occur behind the beach vegetation of larger military outposts are sited at strategic points
rivers (Puhakka et al., 1993; Pitman et al., on the left bank of the Yavar´ı. Although
2003). Mature floodplain forest (‘‘riverine severaltribes(includingtheKokamaandthe
forest’’ sensu Lo´pez-Parodi and Freitas, Yagua) once occupied the floodplains of the
1990) is very tall, floristically diverse, and UcayaliandtheAmazon,andothers(includ-
contains many large and valuable timber ing the Mayu´/Morike, the Remo, and the
species (e.g., Cedrela odorata and Swietenia Kapanawa) lived along the upper R´ıo Ta-
macrophylla [Meliaceae]). piche, most of these groups are now either
The presence of white-sand forests in the extinctorinanadvancedstateofcultureand
Yavar´ı-Ucayali interfluve was first inferred language loss. Today, the Matses and the
from satellite imagery (Ra¨sa¨nen et al., 1993) Tikuna are the only culturally intact indige-
and later confirmed by a team of botanical nous peoples that still inhabit the Yavar´ı-
researchers, who found that this unusual Ucayali interfluve. Whereas Tikuna territory
habitat is principally confined to flat hilltops is now restricted to a small wedge of land
in the R´ıo Ga´lvez headwater region and between the lower Yavar´ı and the Amazon,
along the adjacent upper R´ıo Blanco (Vrie- Matses communities are more extensively
sendorp et al., 2006a). White-sand forests distributed in the forested interior, mostly
have a unique flora that is depauperate in along the R´ıo Ga´lvez and the Quebrada
speciesbycomparisonwithuplandforestson Chobayacu.
adjacent hillsides with richer soils; they are TheMatseswerehistoricallyknownasthe
composed of shorter, thinner trees that form Mayoruna(astheyarestillknowninBrazil),
a broken, uneven canopy; and they are but the latter term was also applied indis-
supported by a thick rootmat that largely criminately to other indigenous populations
conceals the underlying mineral substrate. living in the Yavar´ı-Ucayali interfluve (Ro-
Although largely unstudied and doubtless manoff, 1984), some of which were clearly
exhibiting regional peculiarities, the white- not Matses (Fleck, 2007). The Matses cur-
sand forests of the Yavar´ı-Ucayali interfluve rentlynumberabout2500peoplelivingalong
probably resemble those found elsewhere in theR´ıoYavar´ıanditstributariesinPeruand
Peru (e.g., near Iquitos; Ruokolainen and Brazil. Prior to 1969, the Peruvian Matses
Tuomisto,1993)andBrazil(Anderson,1981) avoided contact by maintaining hostile rela-
in most essential floristic and structural tions with nontribal Peruvian and Brazilian
characteristics. communities, and by living in upland forests
far from navigable rivers. Peaceful contact
Human Communities was initiated in 1969 by personnel of the
Summer Institute of Linguistics (Vivar,
Whereas the Ucayali has been a major 1975), and assimilation of the Peruvian
avenue for fluvial traffic throughout the Matses into the national culture is now
historical record of eastern Peru, the Yavar´ı proceeding rapidly. Because of their recent
was much less frequently traveled until the isolation, however, older individuals
2011 VOSS AND FLECK:PRIMATEDIVERSITY AND ETHNOBIOLOGY INPERU 9
(.35 years of age) still possess undiminished nearthemouthoftheR´ıoOrosaontheright
traditional knowledge. Many aspects of (south) bankoftheAmazonfrom 30August
traditional Matses culture, including their to 11 December 1926 (Wiley, 2010). The
subsistence technology, are described and Olallas’ material from this locality, which is
illustrated by Romanoff et al. (2004). designated simply as ‘‘R. Amazonas, Orosa’’
Currently, most of the Matses continue to on most of their skin tags, consists of 293
meet all their nutritional needs through specimens taken on daily collecting expedi-
traditional subsistence activities including tions among nearby islands and inland
hunting, fishing, trapping, swidden (‘‘slash- toward the R´ıo Yavar´ı (unpublished report
and-burn’’)agriculture,andcollectionofwild by A.M. Olalla, AMNH department of
fruits. Of particular relevance for this study, Ornithology archives). Unfortunately, no
the Matses still obtain the majority of their detailed itinerary or description of these
dietary protein by hunting. Their most forays is preserved, and few details are
important game species are all large mam- availableconcerningwhereorhowindividual
mals, although caimans (Caiman crocodilus, specimens were obtained in the vicinity of
Paleosuchus spp.), tortoises (Geochelone Orosa.
spp.), river turtles (Podocnemis spp.), birds Anotherearlycollectionofmammalsfrom
(guans, curassows, trumpeters, tinamous, the Yavar´ı-Ucayali interfluve was made by
etc), and certain species of frogs are also Celestino Kalinowski, a professional collec-
eaten occasionally; unlike most other native tor employed by the Field Museum of
Amazonians,theMatsesdonoteatinsectsor Natural History (FMNH), who worked
other invertebrates (Romanoff, 1976, 1983, along the lower Ucayali, the Amazon, and
1984; Fleck, 1997; Fleck et al., 1999; Fleck theYavar´ıin1956 and1957. Kalinowski left
and Harder, 2000). no narrative account of his collecting activ-
The central importance of hunting exper- ities, but a rough itinerary can be recon-
tise is reflected in many aspects of Matses structed from his field catalog of specimens
culture, particularly their language, which is (in the FMNH Division of Mammals ar-
rich in vocabulary for accurately communi- chives). Kalinowski’s first collecting station
cating relevant natural history information. intheYavar´ı-UcayaliinterfluvewasatSanta
For example, by combining vegetative and Cecilia, on the right (east) bank of the R´ıo
geomorphological descriptors, Matses hunt- Manit´ı, where he collected 106 mammals
ers can distinguish .100 different rainforest between 27 December 1956 and 21 January
habitat types, some of which appear to be 1957. After an interval spent at various
differentiallyutilizedbymammals(Fleckand localities on the left (north) bank of the
Harder, 2000). The Matses also have a AmazonfromFebruarytoApril,andanoth-
detailed zoological lexicon that includes er period during which no mammals were
names for every species of large (.1 kg) collected in May and June, Kalinowski
mammal known to occur in the Yavar´ı- worked briefly at San Fernando on the left
Ucayali interfluve (Fleck, 1997). Although (north) bank of the lower Yavar´ı, where he
some details of Matses zoological nomencla- collected16specimensfromthe10ththrough
ture have been formally analyzed (Fleck et the 15th of July. From here, Kalinowski
al., 1999, 2002; Fleck and Voss, 2006), other moved upstream to the mouth of the
aspects of tribal knowledge about the local Yaquerana (i.e., the confluence of the upper
fauna remain undocumented. Yavar´ı and the Ga´lvez), where he collected
from the 3rd through the 30th of August; 57
Mammalogical Exploration specimens are labeled as having been col-
lectedatthisremotesite(‘‘BocaR´ıoYaquer-
The first major collection of mammals ana’’), which was only a few kilometers
fromtheYavar´ı-Ucayaliinterfluvewasmade upstream from the present-day military
by Alfonso and Ramo´n Olalla, members of outpost of Angamos. After descending the
an Ecuadorean family of professional collec- Yavar´ı, Kalinowski next camped at Queb-
tors employed by the American Museum of rada Esperanza on the lower Yavar´ı-Mir´ım,
NaturalHistory(AMNH),whocampedator where he obtained 126 specimens in about
10 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OFNATURALHISTORY NO.351
three weeks (6–27 September). Seven speci- servations made in the adjoining Reserva
mens taken at San Vicente on the lower Comunal Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo, a protected
Yavar´ı on 2 October were the last that this area thatextends from the headwaters of the
indefatigable collector obtained in the Ya- Tamshiyacu and Tahuayo rivers across the
var´ı-Ucayali interfluve. hilly divide that separates the Amazon and
The establishment of a forestry research Yavar´ı watersheds to the upper Yavar´ı-
station near the town of Jenaro Herrera on Mir´ım (Puertas and Bodmer, 1993; Hur-
therightbankoftheUcayaliinthelate1960s tado-Gonzales and Bodmer, 2004).2
provided a base of operations for faunal Faunal inventory work by Michael Val-
research that resulted in an early primate qui, formerly a graduate student based at
inventory (Aquino, 1978), descriptions of the Florida Museum of Natural History
severalnewspeciesofrodentsandmarsupials (FLMNH), resulted in the first substantial
(Pacheco, 1991; Malygin et al., 1994; Solari, collectionsofusablespecimensfromTahuayo-
2007),thefirstpublishedlistofbatsfromthe Blanco watershed (Valqui, 1999, 2001). Val-
Yavar´ı-Ucayali interfluve (Ascorra et al., qui’s study was centered at the village of San
1993), and various ecological publications Pedro (about 4 km north of the Estacio´n
(e.g.,Gorchovetal.,1993;FleckandHarder, Biolo´gica Quebrada Blanco), but he also
1995).Substantialcollectionsfromthislocal- collected specimens as far as 25 km upstream
ity were made over several decades by from San Pedro on the Quebrada Blanco
mammalogists from the Museo de Historia (within the Reserva Comunal Tamshiyacu-
Natural de la Universidad Nacional Mayor Tahuayo), and at a settlement known as El
de San Marcos (MUSM). Most of these Chino (about 5 km NW San Pedro) on the
collections—totaling 428 specimens of bats, lower R´ıo Tahuayo (see map inset; fig. 2).
marsupials, and rodents in the MUSM and
Valqui’s collections from these localities,
AMNH—weremadebyCesarAscorra(from
which were obtained between 14 May 1994
30 November 1988 through 10 September
and 12 June 1998, include 609 specimens of
1991), Victor Pacheco (26 April–5 May
marsupials and rodents at the FLMNH and
1990), Jessica Amanzo (6 March–6 April
MUSM.
1997, 8 June–24 July 2003), and Lynne
Wildlife management research by Richard
Villalobos (9 June–24 July 2003). The holo-
Bodmer and colleagues, originally based on
type of Amphinectomys savamis and about
the Quebrada Blanco in the late 1980s, was
750 other specimens of small mammals
extended to the R´ıo Yavar´ı-Mir´ım in the
collected by a Soviet research team that
1990s (Puertas and Bodmer, 1993; Hurtado-
worked at Jenaro Herrera from 1985 to
Gonzales and Bodmer, 2004). Mammalian
1991arepreservedintheZoologicalMuseum
sightings recorded on walked transect cen-
of the M.V. Lomonosov University in
susesalongseveraltrailsystemsontheupper
Moscow (Pavlinov, 1994).
and lower Yavar´ı-Mir´ım from from 1991 to
Anotherlocusoffaunalsurveyworkinthe
1998 were subsequently used to assess local
region is the Quebrada Blanco, a right-bank
diversity of the larger diurnal species by
tributaryoftheR´ıoTahuayo.Primatologists
Valqui (2001) and Salovaara et al. (2003).
first worked here in 1975 (Castro and Soini,
Unfortunately, voucher specimens obtained
1977), and the Estacio´n Biolo´gica Quebrada
in the course of wildlife-management re-
Blanco—established soon thereafter—has
search on the Yavar´ı-Mir´ım are currently
served as the base camp for numerous sub-
unavailable for study.
sequent studies of the local primate fauna
Our own field research was based at
(e.g., Heymann, 1989, 1990; Garber, 1993;
Nuevo San Juan, a Matses village on the
Heymann and Aquino, 1994; Aquino, 1998;
right bank of the R´ıo Ga´lvez. Mammalian
Nickle and Heymann, 1996; Heymann et al.,
inventoryfieldworkbeganherein1995,when
2000; Nadjafzadeh and Heymann, 2008).
Local ungulate populations have also been
2TheofficialnameofthisconservationunitisnowtheA´reade
studied here (e.g., by Bodmer et al., 1988;
Conservacio´n Regional-Comunal Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo (E.W.
Bodmer, 1990). Faunal studies based on the
Heymann, personal commun.), but we use the older name to
lower Quebrada Blanco often included ob- conformwithprevailingusageintheprimatologicalliterature.