Marmoset vocal communication: Behavior and neurobiology

There has been recent increasing interest in the use of marmosets, a New World primate species, as a model in biomedical research. One of the principal advantages of marmosets as a research model is their rich vocal repertoire and communicative vocal behaviors displayed both in the wild and in captivity. Studies of this species' vocal communication system have the potential to reveal the evolutionary underpinnings of human speech, and therefore are of interest to the neuroscience and biology research communities. Here a recent research into the behavioral and neurobiological basis of marmoset vocal communication was reviewed and they argued for their broader value as a neuroscientific model. They discuss potential avenues for future research including developmental neurobiology and the application of modern molecular tools to the study of primate communication. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 77: 286-299, 2017.