Do Common Marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) Use Scent to Communicate Information about Food Resources?

Abstract

Many animals use olfactory cues to signal information about food resources; however, this particular use of scent has received little attention in primates. Common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) are exudativores that gouge bark to elicit exudate production and frequently deposit scent marks at gouge holes. We conducted preliminary tests of the hypothesis that common marmosets use olfactory cues to communicate information about exudate value, with more desirable resources targeted for marking. We performed choice experiments on two captive male marmosets. The animals were presented with: (1) a urine scent-marked and unmarked food resource, and (2) a high and low value food resource (i.e., greater/lesser food volumes). Marmosets placed more scent marks on high, compared to low, value food resources. Animals also spent more time gouging, removed more bark and more frequently revisited high versus low value food resources. Lastly, scent-marked foods were gouged more often than unmarked foods. Our findings support the hypothesis that marmosets use scent marking and olfaction to convey information about food resources, although verification in a larger sample is needed. Nonetheless, the demonstrated link between food value and scent marking suggests that olfactory signals may aid marmoset foraging decisions.

Monkey business: Collaborating to grow an ecological physiology of primates

“…(Which would be difficult in the field due to the multitude of variables impacting feeding decisions.) Our findings demonstrate the interplay between physiology and behavior in foraging decisions: animals deposited more scent marks on substrates with more food, and exposure to scent cues led to increased gouging behavior (Thompson et al, ). This suggests that animals may use scent as a means to identify more profitable gouge holes.…”

“…Although our collaboration grew out of happenstance, it has persisted because the collaborative benefits bridge conventional challenges for studying primate adaptations. Proof of benefit is apparent in the breadth of projects spanning the ecological physiology of feeding in howlers (Williams et al, ; Vinyard et al, , 2012), thermoregulation in tropical and temperate monkeys (Thompson et al, , 2016, Thompson, Scheidel, Glander, Williams, & Vinyard, , Thompson, Powell et al, ) and the sensory ecology underlying scent‐marking in marmosets (Bottenberg et al, ; Thompson et al, ). Despite the seeming lack of congruity at first glance, we can portray each project as trying to understand the ecological physiology of primates.…”

Pygmy Marmoset Exudate Feeding Stimulates Exudate Production

“…Lastly, an experimental study showed that two captive common marmosets scent-marked substrates with highvalue foods more than substrates with low-value foods, and they revisited these high-valued substrates more than low-valued ones [Thompson et al, 2018]. The available evidence supports that exudativorous primates scentmark more profitable exudate holes, which may be a behavioural strategy to increase foraging efficiency in patches with complex spatiotemporal resource availability.…”

Social Influences on Food Avoidance in Lemur catta

“…However, some of the social information that lemurs use may not be apparent to human observers, as in the case of olfactory cues. Marmosets, for example, may use scent-marking to indicate high-value food resources for conspecifics [Thompson et al, 2018]. Future research should attempt to investigate additional possible cues to further evaluate the role of social learning in food choice.…”