Golden Lion Tamarin
Leontopithecus rosalia (Linnaeus, 1766)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia; Portuguese: mico-leão-dourado [ˈmiku leˈɐ̃w do(w)ˈɾadu, - liˈɐ̃w -]), less commonly known as the golden lion marmoset, is a small New World monkey of the family Callitrichidae. Endemic to the Atlantic coastal forests of Brazil, the golden lion tamarin is an endangered species. Its geographic range is entirely within the state of Rio de Janeiro. A 2022/2023 census estimated about 4,800 individuals living in the current primary area of occurrence in the non-coastal area of the São João and Macaé river basins, with unknown but smaller additional numbers in limited coastal forests and to the west of the primary area of occurrence. There is a captive population maintaining about 490 individuals among 150 zoos.
Wikipedia contributors, Golden lion tamarin; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T08:16:42.348251+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Leontopithecus rosalia (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Name authority
- (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Common name
- Golden Lion Tamarin
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Primates
- Family
- Callitrichidae
- Genus
- Leontopithecus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderPrimates Linnaeus, 1758
- suborderHaplorrhini Pocock, 1918
- infraorderSimiiformes Haeckel, 1866
- familyCallitrichidae Gray, 1821
- genusLeontopithecus Lesson, 1840
- speciesLeontopithecus rosalia (Linnaeus, 1766)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Leontopithecus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Black-faced Lion TamarinLeontopithecus caissara Lorini & Persson, 1990 | CallitrichidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Golden-headed Lion TamarinLeontopithecus chrysomelas (Kuhl, 1820) | CallitrichidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Black Lion TamarinLeontopithecus chrysopygus (Mikan, 1823) | CallitrichidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Leontocebus leoninus Pocock, 1914 Pocock, 1914 | synonym |
| Leontopithecus aurora Elliot, 1913 Elliot, 1913 | synonym |
| Jacchus rosalia guyannensis Fischer, 1829 Fischer, 1829 | synonym |
| Jacchus rosalia brasiliensis Fischer, 1829 Fischer, 1829 | synonym |
| Leontopithecus marikina Lesson, 1840 Lesson, 1840 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=572922 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3T6ZV. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.