High plasticity in marmoset monkey vocal development from infancy to adulthood
Yasemin B Gultekin1,2, David G C Hildebrand3, Kurt Hammerschmidt4
1Neurobiology of Social Communication, Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Medical Center, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
Science Advances
|July 1, 2021
Summary
Marmoset monkeys show flexible vocal development, with call sequences changing until adulthood, unlike the assumed early vocal development in primates. This prolonged plasticity suggests an evolutionary preadaptation for vocal learning and speech.
Area of Science:
- Primate vocalization
- Developmental biology
- Evolutionary biology
Background:
- Primate vocal development is thought to be predetermined and complete early in life.
- Human infant vocalizations change significantly, becoming speech-like within the first year.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental trajectory of vocal behavior in marmoset monkeys.
- To determine if vocal development in marmosets is experience-dependent and prolonged.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of vocal sequences and call features in marmoset monkeys.
- Correlation of vocal development stages with motor and social development.
Main Results:
- Marmoset vocal development exhibits a dichotomy: call features mature early, but sequences and transitions remain flexible until adulthood.
- Vocal development stages in marmosets align with their motor and social development milestones.
Conclusions:
- Marmoset vocal development demonstrates prolonged plasticity, challenging previous assumptions about primate vocal learning.
- This extended developmental phase in marmosets may represent a crucial evolutionary precursor to human speech and vocal learning.
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