The role of auditory feedback on vocal pattern generation in marmoset monkeys

Marmoset monkeys are known for their rich vocal repertoire. However, the underlying call production mechanisms remain unclear. By showing that marmoset moneys are capable of interrupting and modulating ongoing vocalizations, recent studies in marmoset monkeys challenged the decades-old concepts of primate vocal pattern generation that suggested that monkey calls consist of one discrete call pattern. The current article will present a revised version of the brainstem vocal pattern-generating network in marmoset monkeys that is capable of responding to perturbing auditory stimuli with rapid modulatory changes of the acoustic call structure during ongoing calls. These audio-vocal integration processes might potentially happen at both the cortical and subcortical brain level.