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Whisper-like behavior in a non-human primate.

Rachel Morrison1, Diana Reiss

  • 1Department of Psychology, Hunter College, The City University of New York, New York, New York; Department of Psychology, Biopsychology and Behavioral Neuroscience Subprogram, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, New York.

Zoo Biology
|September 17, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Researchers found that cotton-top tamarins exhibit whisper-like vocalizations when a potential threat is present. This low-amplitude communication may be a strategy to avoid detection by predators or eavesdroppers.

Keywords:
communicationcotton-top tamarineavesdroppingwhisper-likewhispering

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Area of Science:

  • Primate communication
  • Animal behavior
  • Bioacoustics

Background:

  • Whispering in humans is a strategy to reduce vocal amplitude and avoid eavesdropping.
  • Whisper-like vocalizations have been observed in some non-human species but not previously in primates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the vocal behavior of cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) in response to a known threat.
  • To determine if cotton-top tamarins exhibit whisper-like vocalizations.

Main Methods:

  • Audio-video recordings were used to document the vocal and behavioral responses of a family of captive cotton-top tamarins.
  • Tamarins were exposed to a familiar supervisor known to elicit mobbing calls.
  • Vocalizations were analyzed for amplitude differences in the presence and absence of the supervisor.

Main Results:

  • Cotton-top tamarins produced significantly lower amplitude vocalizations when the supervisor was present.
  • The tamarins exhibited anti-predator behaviors instead of loud mobbing calls.
  • These low-amplitude vocalizations were initially difficult to detect.

Conclusions:

  • This study provides the first evidence of whisper-like vocal behavior in a non-human primate.
  • Reduced vocal amplitude in the presence of a threat may be a convergent communication strategy in highly social species.
  • The subtle nature of this behavior may explain why it has evaded detection in previous studies.