Hand, mouth and eye preferences in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)

Motor and sensory preferences were measured for 8 common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). Three types of motor function were examined: spontaneous feeding, mouth use when chewing and visuospatial reaching. Eye preference was used as an index of sensory lateralization. The marmosets displayed individual preferences for the performance of the motor tasks, but no group biases were revealed. Correlations between preferences displayed on the motor tests suggest that one hemisphere may control spontaneous feeding and lateralized mouth use while the other controls visuospatial reaching, but no consistent preference was present. In an eye preference test, 7 subjects displayed right-eye preferences, suggesting hemispheric specialisation for this function.