What do dolphins, parrots, and elephants have in common with us? Until recently, they were the only animals known to use names for each other. But another, lesser-known creature has been added to that list.
“We found that marmosets can change their calls when addressing other monkeys, similar to naming in humans,” says scientist David Omer. He led a study that was released in August.
The small monkeys are the first nonhuman primates known to communicate in this way.
Marmosets are social creatures that live in the rainforests of South America. They communicate with different types of high-pitched chirping sounds.
For the study, Omer’s team focused on the monkeys’ phee calls. Marmosets make those whistle-like sounds when they lose sight of each other.
The researchers observed 10 marmosets. Two monkeys at a time were put into separate cages. They were allowed to look at each other briefly before a curtain was placed between them.
Researchers recorded and later analyzed nearly 54,000 phee calls. They found that marmosets use a unique call that serves as a name for each of the other monkeys.
Omer was surprised by these findings. They show that, in the future, we may learn that even more animals communicate like we do.