Marmosets use distinct names when calling to each other, study finds

Whether referring to a politician, cheering on an athlete or recounting what friends and family have been up to, names often crop up in everyday human communication. Now researchers say marmoset monkeys use similar labels.

- Nicola Davis

Besides humans, only dolphins and elephants were previously known to use vocal labels for other members of their species. But now scientists say they have found evidence of the behaviour in a nonhuman primate.

Dr David Omer, the co-author of the research from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said: "Primate vocalisation was long thought to be genetically predetermined and inflexible, making it irrelevant to the evolution of human language," said Omer. "Our findings, however, challenge this assumption."

Writing in the journal Science, Omer and colleagues told of how they carried out a series of experiments involving 10 marmosets. The social primates live in small family groups and use whistle-like vocalisations called "phee calls" to inform other marmosets of their location.