Sex differences in common Marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) in response to an unfamiliar food task

Abstract

There is a growing body of information on sex differences in callitrichid behaviour that includes the animals' performance in food tasks. For example, both reproductive and non-reproductive adult females have been found to be more successful than adult males in solving food tasks. In this study ten adult male and ten adult female common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), housed individually, were tested with an unfamiliar task that involved the extraction of an embedded food. The task was to open a plastic canister that contained a raisin; the open end was covered with parchment paper. Each marmoset was given 15 trials in three blocks of 5 consecutive days. We measured the latency for each animal to open the lid and get the raisin--by one of five strategies that spontaneously emerged. The females learned the task faster and more efficiently than males; all the females opened the canister on day 1, for instance, in contrast to seven of the males on the same day. Females also progressively decreased the time that they took to open the tube. The final latency on day 15, for instance, was significantly shorter for the females. These results are consistent with relevant literature for callitrichids and cannot be accounted for in terms of differences in mental abilities, strength, hand morphology, or energy requirements. Further investigation is necessary to clarify the reasons for these differences.

Reversal learning in gonadectomized marmosets with and without hormone replacement: are males more sensitive to punishment?

“…In this scenario, distracted males would take longer to make their choice, which would more likely lead to an error, due to either memory failure or lack of attention. At least one other study reported slower responses in male than female marmosets in a task requiring the monkeys to open a container in order to extract a raisin (Yamamoto et al 2004). In another study testing the ability of male marmosets to perceive biological motion, as assessed by the discrimination of visual patterns presented on a touch screen, males were found to be less attentive than females and unable to discriminate biological motion (Brown et al 2010).…”

Wild redfronted lemurs (Eulemur rufifrons) use social information to learn new foraging techniques

“…This finding stands in contrast to the results of similar experiments with common marmosets (Pesendorfer et al 2009), where no general preference for one of two techniques was found in groups without training. Because marmosets are quite manipulative (Voelkl and Huber 1999; Yamamoto et al 2004; Dell’Mour et al 2009), they may have achieved the technique easily by individual learning and did not necessary rely on social learning. Lemurs, in contrast, have limited dexterity (Torigoe 1985) due to the lack of a precision grip (Holtkötter 1997).…”

Common marmosets show social plasticity and group-level similarity in personality

“…breeding status) predict trait scores. Sex differences in exploratory behaviour were expected because females have been reported to be faster and to obtain more food than males in foraging tasks3233. In boldness, we expected no sex difference34.…”