Scientists have found that marmoset monkeys has a unique communication system that involves using specific calls or names to address each other. This discovery places marmosets among a select group of animals including humans, dolphins and elephants. The study was led by a team from the Hebrew University which reveals a new dimension of social communication in non-human primates.
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The study highlights that marmosets use specific calls known as phee-calls to address individual members within their groups. This behavior is considered highly cognitive and has previously only been observed in humans, dolphins and elephants.
The lead author was David Omer, an assistant professor at the Hebrew University’s Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC) and addressed that this is the first time such behavior has been observed in non-human primates.
Researchers conducted experiments in which two marmosets were placed in the same room with a visual barrier between them. This setup led the marmosets to engage in dialogue allowing the researchers to record their natural interactions.
The study involved recording conversations between pairs of Marmoset Monkeys, as well as interactions between the monkeys and a computer system. These recordings provided crucial data on how Marmoset Monkeys address each other using phee-calls.
The researchers discovered that marmosets use specific phee-calls to address different individuals. This indicates that the Marmoset Monkeys have developed a system of vocal labels akin to names to communicate with each other.
The study also found that marmosets can discern when a call is directed at them. They responded more accurately when they were the intended recipient of a call.
Marmoset Monkeys from the same family group were found to use similar vocal labels to address different individuals. The study provides evidence that Marmoset Monkeys learn vocal labels and dialects from other members of their group. This learning process occurs even among adult Marmoset Monkeys who are not blood relatives.
Marmoset Monkeys are small primates known for their social behavior often living in small, monogamous family groups. These groups are characterized by close bonds, cooperative care of offspring and vocal communication.
The use of vocal labels to identify individuals was thought to be a trait unique to humans, dolphins and elephants species known for their complex social structures and cognitive abilities.
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The objective of the research was led by Dr. David Omer from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem was to explore whether marmosets possess the ability to use specific vocalizations as a form of naming similar to the way humans use names.
To investigate this, the research team conducted a series of carefully designed experiments involving ten marmosets. In each experiment pairs of marmosets with various relationships to each other were placed in a room where they could interact naturally.
After a period of interaction, a barrier was introduced preventing the monkeys from seeing each other, though they could still communicate through vocalizations.
The researchers recorded these interactions focusing on the marmosets’ phee calls, which are whistle-like sounds used by these primates to convey their location.
The Marmoset Monkeys engaged in spontaneous phee call exchanges, taking turns in what appeared to be a form of vocal conversation.
Upon analyzing the recordings the researchers discovered that the marmosets used distinct variations of these calls when addressing different individuals using vocal labels similar to names in human communication.
The Marmoset Monkeys exhibited high variability in their calls during the first 20 or so exchanges, seemingly testing different vocalizations. However, as the sessions progressed, they began to converge on a specific call that appeared to be directed toward a particular individual on the other side of the barrier.
The study also found that marmosets within the same family group tended to use similar calls when addressing the same individual. This indicates that marmosets learn these vocal labels from their family members, a process akin to vocal learning in humans.
Earlier research indicated that African elephants might also use individualized calls resembling names to address each other.
The unique behavior of naming might have evolved to help Marmoset Monkeys stay connected in their natural habitat such as dense rainforests where visibility is often limited. In such environments having specific vocal labels for each other could be crucial for maintaining social cohesion and ensuring group safety.
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