Amazing stuff!
"It seems so, after new research appears to have discovered that small monkeys called marmosets “vocally label” their monkey friends with specific sounds.
... The team used audio recorders and pattern-recognition software to analyze the animals’ high-pitched chirps and twitters. To prove they’d cracked the monkey code—and learned the secret names—the team played recordings at the marmosets through a speaker and found they responded more often when their label, or name, was in the recording.
... Until now, only humans, dolphins, elephants, and probably parrots had been known to use specific sounds to call out to other individuals. ..."
"... The finding adds to recent revelations about marmoset communication, including that they learn to “talk” as infants by mimicking their parents, take turns while communicating, and even eavesdrop on their neighbors’ conversations. The monkeys may have evolved this sophisticated communication style to stay in touch in their dense rainforest habitat, where group members are easier heard than seen. ..."
From the editor's summary and abstract:
"Editor’s summary
The ability to vocally label other individuals from your species and to learn these labels from others is a high-level cognitive function. Previously, this behavior has only been known to exist in humans, dolphins, and some parrot species. Oren et al. applied machine learning tools and real-time playback experiments to analyze naturally occurring “phee-call” dialogues between pairs of marmoset monkeys. Marmosets used these vocalizations to label their conspecifics. They also perceived and responded correctly to calls that were specifically directed at them. Monkeys from the same family group used similar calls to vocally label others, and they learned from other family members to vocally label other individuals. ...
Abstract
Humans, dolphins, and elephants are the only known species that vocally label their conspecifics. It remains unclear whether nonhuman primates share this ability. We recorded spontaneous “phee-call” dialogues between pairs of marmoset monkeys. We discovered that marmosets use these calls to vocally label their conspecifics. Moreover, they respond more consistently and correctly to calls that are specifically directed at them. Analysis of calls from multiple monkeys revealed that family members use similar calls and acoustic features to label others and perform vocal learning. These findings shed light on the complexities of social vocalizations among nonhuman primates and suggest that marmoset vocalizations may provide a model for understanding aspects of human language, thereby offering new insights into the evolution of social communication."
Vocal labeling of others by nonhuman primates (no public access)
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