Food Calls in Common Marmosets, Callithrix jacchus, and Evidence That One Is Functionally Referential
We studied three calls of common marmosets, Callithrix jacchus, elicited in the context of food. Call A, but not B or C, had been described previously as a food call. We presented insects (live mealworms or crickets) and fruit (banana or blueberries) and used playbacks of calls. We found that Call C...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2018-06-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/8/7/99 |
| _version_ | 1811268409067831296 |
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| author | Lesley J. Rogers Leanne Stewart Gisela Kaplan |
| author_facet | Lesley J. Rogers Leanne Stewart Gisela Kaplan |
| author_sort | Lesley J. Rogers |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We studied three calls of common marmosets, Callithrix jacchus, elicited in the context of food. Call A, but not B or C, had been described previously as a food call. We presented insects (live mealworms or crickets) and fruit (banana or blueberries) and used playbacks of calls. We found that Call C was produced only in response to seeing insects, and not fruit; it consistently signaled the availability of insects (includes mealworms), and more so when this food could be seen but not consumed. Playback of Call C caused the marmosets to stop feeding on a less preferred food (banana) and, instead, go to inspect a location where mealworms had been found previously, providing evidence that it has referential meaning. No such immediate response was elicited on hearing Call A or background noise. Call A differed from C in that it was produced more frequently when the marmosets were consuming the food than when they could only see it, and call A showed no specificity between insects and fruit. Call B was emitted less frequently than the A or C calls and, by the marmosets that were tested alone, most often to crickets. An audience effect occurred, in that all three calls were emitted more often when the marmosets were tested alone than when in pairs. Recognition of the functional significance of marmoset calls can lead to improved husbandry of marmosets in captivity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T21:21:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3dbe0f407fcb40928cc17817307ec604 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T21:21:17Z |
| publishDate | 2018-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-3dbe0f407fcb40928cc17817307ec6042022-12-22T03:16:17ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152018-06-01879910.3390/ani8070099ani8070099Food Calls in Common Marmosets, Callithrix jacchus, and Evidence That One Is Functionally ReferentialLesley J. Rogers0Leanne Stewart1Gisela Kaplan2School of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2531, AustraliaSchool of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2531, AustraliaSchool of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2531, AustraliaWe studied three calls of common marmosets, Callithrix jacchus, elicited in the context of food. Call A, but not B or C, had been described previously as a food call. We presented insects (live mealworms or crickets) and fruit (banana or blueberries) and used playbacks of calls. We found that Call C was produced only in response to seeing insects, and not fruit; it consistently signaled the availability of insects (includes mealworms), and more so when this food could be seen but not consumed. Playback of Call C caused the marmosets to stop feeding on a less preferred food (banana) and, instead, go to inspect a location where mealworms had been found previously, providing evidence that it has referential meaning. No such immediate response was elicited on hearing Call A or background noise. Call A differed from C in that it was produced more frequently when the marmosets were consuming the food than when they could only see it, and call A showed no specificity between insects and fruit. Call B was emitted less frequently than the A or C calls and, by the marmosets that were tested alone, most often to crickets. An audience effect occurred, in that all three calls were emitted more often when the marmosets were tested alone than when in pairs. Recognition of the functional significance of marmoset calls can lead to improved husbandry of marmosets in captivity.http://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/8/7/99food callscommon marmosetsfood typereferentialintentionalaudience effectplayback experimentfood preferences |
| spellingShingle | Lesley J. Rogers Leanne Stewart Gisela Kaplan Food Calls in Common Marmosets, Callithrix jacchus, and Evidence That One Is Functionally Referential Animals food calls common marmosets food type referential intentional audience effect playback experiment food preferences |
| title | Food Calls in Common Marmosets, Callithrix jacchus, and Evidence That One Is Functionally Referential |
| title_full | Food Calls in Common Marmosets, Callithrix jacchus, and Evidence That One Is Functionally Referential |
| title_fullStr | Food Calls in Common Marmosets, Callithrix jacchus, and Evidence That One Is Functionally Referential |
| title_full_unstemmed | Food Calls in Common Marmosets, Callithrix jacchus, and Evidence That One Is Functionally Referential |
| title_short | Food Calls in Common Marmosets, Callithrix jacchus, and Evidence That One Is Functionally Referential |
| title_sort | food calls in common marmosets callithrix jacchus and evidence that one is functionally referential |
| topic | food calls common marmosets food type referential intentional audience effect playback experiment food preferences |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/8/7/99 |
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