This taxon had previously been considered to be both Cebus albifrons trinitanus and C. olivaceus, and in 1981 had been interpreted doubtfully distinct and likely conspecific with C. capucinus by some taxonomists.

brunneus when they wrote the IUCN Red List assessment in 2008, classifying the subspecies within the Guianan weeper capuchin.

[1] In 2012, Boubli et al., found divergences in mitochondrial DNA of C. brunneus to be significant enough to recognise it as a separate species, and also synonymized the Trinidad white-fronted capuchin (C. trinitatis) with it based on the mitochondrial genes of the single sampled specimen.

[4] Trinidad white-fronted capuchins have been observed using leaves as cups to drink water from tree cavities.

These observations suggest that, like the common chimpanzee, wild capuchins demonstrate tool manufacture and use in foraging-related contexts.