ABSTRACT Introduction Mapping areas of climatic stability represents a critical strategy for the maintenance and conservation of biodiversity‐rich environments in the face of ongoing climate change. Neotropical primates are among the most sensitive taxa to climatic shifts. Objectives Given the significant threat posed by climate change and the high species richness in the Neotropical region, we aimed to: (1) identify climatically stable areas in the Neotropics through time (1970–2000 and 2061–2080); (2) examine the relationship between climatic stability and patterns of primate endemism and species richness; and (3) assess uncertainties associated with modelling components. Methods We built Ecological Niche Models (ENMs) for 92 species of New World primates, projecting their potential distributions under future climatic scenarios (SSP2‐4.5 and SSP5‐8.5). Main Results A large climatically stable area was identified in the Amazon and parts of the Andes, regions characterised by forested habitats. Discussion Areas of highest primate richness and endemism overlapped with climatically stable areas. Our results also suggest that climatic suitability uncertainty varies primarily among species, whereas climatic models contribute the least to overall uncertainty. Conclusion These findings underscore the crucial role of climatically stable environments in sustaining primate diversity patterns across the Neotropical region and highlight the importance of incorporating such areas into conservation strategies.
Marques et al. (Sun,) studied this question.