Dialects in pygmy marmosets? Population variation in call structure

Torre, Stella de la; Snowdon, Charles T.

doi:10.1002/ajp.20657

Cited by 65 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…In addition, wild pygmy marmosets ( Cebuella pygmaea , de la Torre & Snowdon, 2009) have population specific vocal dialects that cannot be explained by habitat acoustics or genetic variation and thus are suggestive of innovations that can spread through a population. Recent research suggests that marmosets can learn vocalizations and turn-taking roles through parental influence providing additional evidence of social learning (Chow, Mitchell & Miller, 2012; Takahashi, Fenley, Teramoto, Narayanan, Borjon, Holmes, Ghazanfar, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stick-weaving: Innovative behavior in tamarins (Saguinus oedipus).

Snowdon¹,

Roskos²

2017

Journal of Comparative Psychology

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Some captive cotton-top tamarins spontaneously weave sticks in the mesh of their enclosures so that the stick is lodged between two mesh openings. Sticks are broken from natural branches placed in the enclosures and often modified by biting them in the center before weaving through the mesh. To investigate this further we systematically surveyed all animals in our colony and found that all successful stick weaving tamarins were descendants from only two of the 16 breeding groups contributing to the colony membership at the time of surveying or were the mates of these descendants, suggesting stick-weaving is a socially learned behavior. Successful stick-weavers were presented with pipe cleaners, soda straws and wooden dowels to see if they would generalize stick-weaving to novel objects. Seven of 10 animals successfully wove with straws or pipe cleaners showing that they could generalize the behavior to objects that were physically different but had the same affordances as the sticks. Data from a father-daughter pair suggest a form of coaching. Innovative behavior is needed for the emergence of culture with subsequent social transmission. Although innovative behavior in primates is mainly associated with foraging and is more likely to occur among males, stick-weaving has no obvious reward and appeared equally in both sexes. Stick-weaving behavior and its probable social transmission across generations suggest the possibility of cultural traditions emerging in this species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stick-weaving: Innovative behavior in tamarins (Saguinus oedipus).

Snowdon¹,

Roskos²

2017

Journal of Comparative Psychology

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“…Ontogenetic vocal production learning, however, is but one function of the primate vocal-motor system. Evidence of learning and behavioral control is available for many other aspects of this system (Elowson and Snowdon, 1994; Mitani and Gros-Louis, 1998; Suguira, 1998; Snowdon and Elowsen, 1999; Miller et al, 2003; Egnor et al, 2006, 2007; Miller and Wang, 2006; De la Torre and Snowdon, 2009). Even if the basic acoustic structure of a call is innately determined, the vocal behaviors themselves are not.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In fact, neurophysiological evidence shows a cortical mechanism to mediate auditory feedback for vocal control (Eliades and Wang, 2008). Evidence of vocal learning is also available in the form of dialects and vocal convergence (Elowson and Snowdon, 1994; Snowdon and Elowsen, 1999; De la Torre and Snowdon, 2009), though ontogenetic learning of call structure remains limited. The growing body of behavioral data suggest a more sophisticated system of vocal production for primates than was previously thought, providing a more substantive empirical basis for cortical control of vocal production.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vocalization Induced CFos Expression in Marmoset Cortex

Miller¹,

DiMauro²,

Pistorio³

et al. 2010

Front. Integr. Neurosci.

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All non-human primates communicate with conspecifics using vocalizations, a system involving both the production and perception of species-specific vocal signals. Much of the work on the neural basis of primate vocal communication in cortex has focused on the sensory processing of vocalizations, while relatively little data are available for vocal production. Earlier physiological studies in squirrel monkeys had shed doubts on the involvement of primate cortex in vocal behaviors. The aim of the present study was to identify areas of common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) cortex that are potentially involved in vocal communication. In this study, we quantified cFos expression in three areas of marmoset cortex – frontal, temporal (auditory), and medial temporal – under various vocal conditions. Specifically, we examined cFos expression in these cortical areas during the sensory, motor (vocal production), and sensory–motor components of vocal communication. Our results showed an increase in cFos expression in ventrolateral prefrontal cortex as well as the medial and lateral belt areas of auditory cortex in the vocal perception condition. In contrast, subjects in the vocal production condition resulted in increased cFos expression only in dorsal premotor cortex. During the sensory–motor condition (antiphonal calling), subjects exhibited cFos expression in each of the above areas, as well as increased expression in perirhinal cortex. Overall, these results suggest that various cortical areas outside primary auditory cortex are involved in primate vocal communication. These findings pave the way for further physiological studies of the neural basis of primate vocal communication.

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“…dialects) have been widely demonstrated [10], but only rarely shown in mammals, such as prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni ) [11], chipmunks (Eutamias spp.) [12], marmosets (Cebuella pygmaea) [13] and bats (Phyllostomus discolor) [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Syntactic structure and geographical dialects in the songs of male rock hyraxes

et al. 2012

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Few mammalian species produce vocalizations that are as richly structured as bird songs, and this greatly restricts the capacity for information transfer. Syntactically complex mammalian vocalizations have been previously studied only in primates, cetaceans and bats. We provide evidence of complex syntactic vocalizations in a small social mammal: the rock hyrax (Procavia capensis: Hyracoidea). We adopted three algorithms, commonly used in genetic sequence analysis and information theory, to examine the order of syllables in hyrax calls. Syntactic dialects exist, and the syntax of hyrax calls is significantly different between different regions in Israel. Call syntax difference is positively correlated to geographical distance over short distances. No correlation is found over long distances, which may reflect limited dispersal movement. These findings indicate that rich syntactic structure is more common in the vocalizations of mammalian taxa than previously thought and suggest the possibility of vocal production learning in the hyrax.

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Dialects in pygmy marmosets? Population variation in call structure

Cited by 65 publications

References 36 publications

Stick-weaving: Innovative behavior in tamarins (Saguinus oedipus).

Stick-weaving: Innovative behavior in tamarins (Saguinus oedipus).

Vocalization Induced CFos Expression in Marmoset Cortex

Syntactic structure and geographical dialects in the songs of male rock hyraxes

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