Reproduction of wild-caught and laboratory-born marmoset species used in biomedical research (Saguinus sp, Callithrix jacchus)

Abstract

Reproductive performances of wild-caught and laboratory-born marmosets maintained in a paired-cage system were summarized. Wild-caught, white-lipped (WL) marmosets (Saguinus fuscicollis, S nigricollis) averaged 2.6 live births per pair per yr compared with 1.6 for cotton-topped (CT) marmosets (S oedipus); S fuscicollis illigeri pairs were the best producers. Of first and second generation laboratory-born animals, crossbred or hybrid WL pairs were the best producers; first generation pairs averaged 2.7 live births per pair per yr, comparable to the production of wild-caught WL pairs. In contrast, laboratory-born Sf illigeri pairs produced only 0.8 live births per pair per yr. No significant differences in reproductive performance were observed between first generation outbred vs inbred and between parent-reared vs hand-reared pairs. Based on limited data, the reproductive capabilities of wild-caught and laboratory-born Callithrix jacchus appeared superior to both WL and CT marmosets. Ten examples of marmoset models in biomedical research were discussed briefly.