Marmosets are chatty
Marmosets have been found to use specific vocal labels to communicate with other members of their species. Research showed that when pairs of marmosets were separated by a barrier, they used distinct ‘phee calls’ to communicate with each other.
Aside from humans (who have been known to speak in unique ways like a village in Turkey), dolphins and elephants have also been observed using similar labels for their counterparts:
Neuroscientist and co-author David Omer explains, “We believe that this behavior plays a crucial role in the social cohesion of marmosets, which is essential for their survival.”
Omer and a team of researchers from the Hebrew University published their findings in Science. They recorded natural interactions between pairs of marmosets and between the monkeys and a computer system, revealing that the monkeys use their ‘phee calls’ to address specific individuals.
Furthermore, the study found that marmosets could differentiate when a call was directed at them and responded more accurately in those cases.
Omer elaborates, “This discovery underscores the complexity of social communication among marmosets. These calls are not simply for self-localization as previously believed—marmosets use these specific calls to label and address specific individuals.”
The research revealed that marmosets within a family group use similar vocal labels for different individuals and employ similar sound elements to distinguish between names, resembling the use of names and dialects in humans.
Even adult marmosets who are not biologically related seem to learn these vocal labels and dialect from other family members, indicating a social learning aspect among these primates.
Omer concludes, “Marmosets live in small monogamous family groups and care for their young collectively, similar to humans. These parallels suggest that they may have faced similar social challenges during evolution, leading to the development of comparable communication methods.”
This research offers new insights into the evolution of social communication and human language. The ability of marmosets to use specific calls to identify individuals suggests the presence of complex brain mechanisms, akin to those that may have eventually given rise to human language.
