Shock-headed capuchin
species of mammal

The shock-headed capuchin (Cebus cuscinus) is a species of gracile capuchin monkey from Bolivia and Peru. It was previously classified as a subspecies of the Humboldt's white-fronted capuchin (C. albifrons), but in 2013 Mittermeier and Rylands elevated it to a separate species, following genetic studies by Boubli et al. in 2012 and Lynch Alfaro et al. in 2010.
The shock-headed capuchin lives in lowland and seasonally inundated forests of the upper Amazon Basin, as well as montane forests of the western Andes Mountains up to elevations of 1,800 m (5,900 ft). Males have a head and body length of about 40 cm (16 in) with a tail length of about 44 cm (17 in). Females have a head and body length between 39 and 46 cm (15 and 18 in) with a tail length between 39 and 47.5 cm (15.4 and 18.7 in).
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Shock-headed capuchin” is species of mammal. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Shock-headed, capuchin and species, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “species of mammal” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 30, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q34270937. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2013, 2012 and 2010.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Shock-headed capuchin”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Shock-headed capuchin primary sources, Shock-headed capuchin archive and Shock-headed research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Shock-headed capuchin”?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Shock-headed capuchin” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.