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Li J, Aoi MC, Miller CT. Representing the dynamics of natural marmoset vocal behaviors in frontal cortex. Neuron 2024:S0896-6273(24)00644-5. [PMID: 39317185 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/26/2024]
Abstract
Here, we tested the respective contributions of primate premotor and prefrontal cortex to support vocal behavior. We applied a model-based generalized linear model (GLM) analysis that better accounts for the inherent variance in natural, continuous behaviors to characterize the activity of neurons throughout the frontal cortex as freely moving marmosets engaged in conversational exchanges. While analyses revealed functional clusters of neural activity related to the different processes involved in the vocal behavior, these clusters did not map to subfields of prefrontal or premotor cortex, as has been observed in more conventional task-based paradigms. Our results suggest a distributed functional organization for the myriad neural mechanisms underlying natural social interactions and have implications for our concepts of the role that frontal cortex plays in governing ethological behaviors in primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwen Li
- Cortical Systems & Behavior Lab, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Mikio C Aoi
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Cory T Miller
- Cortical Systems & Behavior Lab, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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2
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Varella TT, Takahashi DY, Ghazanfar AA. Active sampling as an information seeking strategy in primate vocal interactions. Commun Biol 2024; 7:1098. [PMID: 39242819 PMCID: PMC11379854 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06764-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Active sensing is a behavioral strategy for exploring the environment. In this study, we show that contact vocal behaviors can be an active sensing mechanism that uses sampling to gain information about the social environment, in particular, the vocal behavior of others. With a focus on the real-time vocal interactions of marmoset monkeys, we contrast active sampling to a vocal accommodation framework in which vocalizations are adjusted simply to maximize responses. We conduct simulations of a vocal accommodation and an active sampling policy and compare them with actual vocal interaction data. Our findings support active sampling as the best model for real-time marmoset monkey vocal exchanges. In some cases, the active sampling model was even able to partially predict the distribution of vocal durations for individuals to approximate the optimal call duration. These results suggest a non-traditional function for primate vocal interactions in which they are used by animals to seek information about their social environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago T Varella
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute & Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Daniel Y Takahashi
- Brain Institute Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) Av, Nascimento de Castro, 2155-Morro Branco, Natal, RN, 59056-450, Brazil
| | - Asif A Ghazanfar
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute & Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA.
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3
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Oren G, Shapira A, Lifshitz R, Vinepinsky E, Cohen R, Fried T, Hadad GP, Omer D. Vocal labeling of others by nonhuman primates. Science 2024; 385:996-1003. [PMID: 39208084 DOI: 10.1126/science.adp3757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy Oren
- Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Aner Shapira
- Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Reuven Lifshitz
- Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ehud Vinepinsky
- Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Roni Cohen
- Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Tomer Fried
- Benin School of Computer Science and Engineering, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Guy P Hadad
- Benin School of Computer Science and Engineering, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - David Omer
- Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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4
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Grijseels DM, Fairbank DA, Miller CT. A model of marmoset monkey vocal turn-taking. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240150. [PMID: 38955229 PMCID: PMC11334984 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Vocal turn-taking has been described in a diversity of species. Yet, a model that is able to capture the various processes underlying this social behaviour across species has not been developed. To this end, here we recorded a large and diverse dataset of marmoset monkey vocal behaviour in social contexts comprising one, two and three callers and developed a model to determine the keystone factors that affect the dynamics of these natural communicative interactions. Notably, marmoset turn-taking did not abide by coupled-oscillator dynamics, but rather call timing was overwhelmingly stochastic in these exchanges. Our features-based model revealed four key factors that encapsulate the majority of patterns evident in the behaviour, ranging from internal processes, such as particular states of the individual driving increased calling, to social context-driven suppression of calling. These findings indicate that marmoset vocal turn-taking is affected by a broader suite of mechanisms than previously considered and that our model provides a predictive framework with which to further explicate this natural behaviour at both the behavioural and neurobiological levels, and for direct comparisons with the analogous behaviour in other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dori M. Grijseels
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Lab, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Daniella A. Fairbank
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Lab, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Cory T. Miller
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Lab, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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5
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Drazan TM, Bradley SP, Jones A, Allen-Worthington K, Chudasama Y. Improving reproductive success in captive marmosets through active female choice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.08.593247. [PMID: 38766181 PMCID: PMC11100743 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.08.593247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
The recent upsurge in the use of common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) as a desirable model for high priority biomedical research has challenged local and global suppliers struggling to provide sufficient numbers of marmosets for large scale projects. Scientific research laboratories are increasingly establishing institutional breeding colonies, in part to combat the resulting shortage and high cost of commercially available animals, and in part to have maximum control over research lines involving reproduction and development. For such laboratories, efficient marmoset breeding can be challenging and time consuming. Random male/female pairings are often unsuccessful, with intervals of several months before attempting alternate pairings. Here we address this challenge through a behavioral task that promotes self-directed female selection of potential mates to increase the efficiency of breeding in captive marmosets. We created a partner preference test ('love maze') in which nulliparous females (n=12) had the opportunity to select between two eligible males (n=23) at a time, in a forced choice test. In this test, both males usually displayed sexual solicitations. However, the female would clearly indicate her preference for one. Most commonly, the female actively ignored the non-preferred male and directed overt prosocial behaviors (e.g. proceptive tongue-flicking, approach and grooming) to the preferred male. Moreover, once a male was selected in this context, the female would continue to prefer him over other males in three consecutive testing sessions. Compared with random pairings, this directed female choice showed a 2.5-fold improvement in breeding within 90 days compared to random pairings. This cost-effective and straightforward pairing practice can be used to enhance breeding efficiency in both small and large marmoset colonies.
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Phaniraj N, Brügger RK, Burkart JM. Marmosets mutually compensate for differences in rhythms when coordinating vigilance. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1012104. [PMID: 38748738 PMCID: PMC11132515 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Synchronization is widespread in animals, and studies have often emphasized how this seemingly complex phenomenon can emerge from very simple rules. However, the amount of flexibility and control that animals might have over synchronization properties, such as the strength of coupling, remains underexplored. Here, we studied how pairs of marmoset monkeys coordinated vigilance while feeding. By modeling them as coupled oscillators, we noted that (1) individual marmosets do not show perfect periodicity in vigilance behaviors, (2) nevertheless, marmoset pairs started to take turns being vigilant over time, a case of anti-phase synchrony, (3) marmosets could couple flexibly; the coupling strength varied with every new joint feeding bout, and (4) marmosets could control the coupling strength; dyads showed increased coupling if they began in a more desynchronized state. Such flexibility and control over synchronization require more than simple interaction rules. Minimally, animals must estimate the current degree of asynchrony and adjust their behavior accordingly. Moreover, the fact that each marmoset is inherently non-periodic adds to the cognitive demand. Overall, our study provides a mathematical framework to investigate the cognitive demands involved in coordinating behaviors in animals, regardless of whether individual behaviors are rhythmic or not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil Phaniraj
- Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rahel K. Brügger
- Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Judith M. Burkart
- Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Nagarajan G, Matrov D, Pearson AC, Yen C, Bradley SP, Chudasama Y. Cingulate cortex shapes early postnatal development of social vocalizations. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.17.580738. [PMID: 38529485 PMCID: PMC10962701 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.17.580738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
The social dynamics of vocal behavior has major implications for social development in humans. We asked whether early life damage to the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which is closely associated with socioemotional regulation more broadly, impacts the normal development of vocal expression. The common marmoset provides a unique opportunity to study the developmental trajectory of vocal behavior, and to track the consequences of early brain damage on aspects of social vocalizations. We created ACC lesions in neonatal marmosets and compared their pattern of vocalization to that of age-matched controls throughout the first 6 weeks of life. We found that while early life ACC lesions had little influence on the production of vocal calls, developmental changes to the quality of social contact calls and their associated syntactical and acoustic characteristics were compromised. These animals made fewer social contact calls, and when they did, they were short, loud and monotonic. We further determined that damage to ACC in infancy results in a permanent alteration in downstream brain areas known to be involved in social vocalizations, such as the amygdala and periaqueductal gray. Namely, in the adult, these structures exhibited diminished GABA-immunoreactivity relative to control animals, likely reflecting disruption of the normal inhibitory balance following ACC deafferentation. Together, these data indicate that the normal development of social vocal behavior depends on the ACC and its interaction with other areas in the vocal network during early life.
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Yano-Nashimoto S, Truzzi A, Shinozuka K, Murayama AY, Kurachi T, Moriya-Ito K, Tokuno H, Miyazawa E, Esposito G, Okano H, Nakamura K, Saito A, Kuroda KO. Anxious about rejection, avoidant of neglect: Infant marmosets tune their attachment based on individual caregiver's parenting style. Commun Biol 2024; 7:212. [PMID: 38378797 PMCID: PMC10879543 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05875-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Children's secure attachment with their primary caregivers is crucial for physical, cognitive, and emotional maturation. Yet, the causal links between specific parenting behaviors and infant attachment patterns are not fully understood. Here we report infant attachment in New World monkeys common marmosets, characterized by shared infant care among parents and older siblings and complex vocal communications. By integrating natural variations in parenting styles and subsecond-scale microanalyses of dyadic vocal and physical interactions, we demonstrate that marmoset infants signal their needs through context-dependent call use and selective approaches toward familiar caregivers. The infant attachment behaviors are tuned to each caregiver's parenting style; infants use negative calls when carried by rejecting caregivers and selectively avoid neglectful and rejecting caregivers. Family-deprived infants fail to develop such adaptive uses of attachment behaviors. With these similarities with humans, marmosets offer a promising model for investigating the biological mechanisms of attachment security.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saori Yano-Nashimoto
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
- Laboratory of Physiology, Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Anna Truzzi
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Kazutaka Shinozuka
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
- Planning, Review and Research Institute for Social insurance and Medical program, Chiyoda-ku, Japan
| | - Ayako Y Murayama
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku-ku, Japan
- Laboratory for Marmoset Neural Architecture, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
- Neural Circuit Unit, Okinawa Institute Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Japan
| | - Takuma Kurachi
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
- Department of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Japan
| | - Keiko Moriya-Ito
- Department of Brain & Neurosciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-ku, Japan
| | - Hironobu Tokuno
- Department of Brain & Neurosciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-ku, Japan
| | - Eri Miyazawa
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
| | - Gianluca Esposito
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku-ku, Japan
- Laboratory for Marmoset Neural Architecture, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
| | - Katsuki Nakamura
- Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
| | - Atsuko Saito
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan.
- Department of Psychology, Sophia University, Chiyoda-ku, Japan.
| | - Kumi O Kuroda
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan.
- Kuroda Laboratory, School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan.
- Laboratory for Circuit and Behavioral Physiology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan.
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9
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Varella TT, Takahashi DY, Ghazanfar AA. Active Sampling in Primate Vocal Interactions. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.05.570161. [PMID: 38106107 PMCID: PMC10723297 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.05.570161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Active sensing is a behavioral strategy for exploring the environment. In this study, we show that contact vocal behaviors can be an active sensing mechanism that uses sampling to gain information about the social environment, in particular, the vocal behavior of others. With a focus on the realtime vocal interactions of marmoset monkeys, we contrast active sampling to a vocal accommodation framework in which vocalizations are adjusted simply to maximize responses. We conducted simulations of a vocal accommodation and an active sampling policy and compared them with real vocal exchange data. Our findings support active sampling as the best model for marmoset monkey vocal exchanges. In some cases, the active sampling model was even able to predict the distribution of vocal durations for individuals. These results suggest a new function for primate vocal interactions in which they are used by animals to seek information from social environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago T Varella
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute & Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton NJ 08544, USA
| | - Daniel Y Takahashi
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Av. Nascimento de Castro, 2155 - Morro Branco, Natal, RN 59056-450, Brasil
| | - Asif A Ghazanfar
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute & Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton NJ 08544, USA
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Zhu L, Zheng D, Li R, Shen CJ, Cai R, Lyu C, Tang B, Sun H, Wang X, Ding Y, Xu B, Jia G, Li X, Gao L, Li XM. Induction of Anxiety-Like Phenotypes by Knockdown of Cannabinoid Type-1 Receptors in the Amygdala of Marmosets. Neurosci Bull 2023; 39:1669-1682. [PMID: 37368194 PMCID: PMC10603018 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01081-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The amygdala is an important hub for regulating emotions and is involved in the pathophysiology of many mental diseases, such as depression and anxiety. Meanwhile, the endocannabinoid system plays a crucial role in regulating emotions and mainly functions through the cannabinoid type-1 receptor (CB1R), which is strongly expressed in the amygdala of non-human primates (NHPs). However, it remains largely unknown how the CB1Rs in the amygdala of NHPs regulate mental diseases. Here, we investigated the role of CB1R by knocking down the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1) gene encoding CB1R in the amygdala of adult marmosets through regional delivery of AAV-SaCas9-gRNA. We found that CB1R knockdown in the amygdala induced anxiety-like behaviors, including disrupted night sleep, agitated psychomotor activity in new environments, and reduced social desire. Moreover, marmosets with CB1R-knockdown had up-regulated plasma cortisol levels. These results indicate that the knockdown of CB1Rs in the amygdala induces anxiety-like behaviors in marmosets, and this may be the mechanism underlying the regulation of anxiety by CB1Rs in the amygdala of NHPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Zhu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brian Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310029, China
| | - Di Zheng
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brian Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Rui Li
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brian Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310029, China
| | - Chen-Jie Shen
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brian Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Ruolan Cai
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brian Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310029, China
| | - Chenfei Lyu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brian Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310029, China
| | - Binliang Tang
- Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310029, China
- Rehabilitation Medicine Center, Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine Research Institute of Zhejiang Province, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 311399, China
| | - Hao Sun
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brian Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310029, China
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brian Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310029, China
| | - Yu Ding
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brian Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Bin Xu
- Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310029, China
| | - Guoqiang Jia
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brian Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310029, China
| | - Xinjian Li
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brian Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310029, China
| | - Lixia Gao
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brian Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
- Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310029, China.
| | - Xiao-Ming Li
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brian Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
- Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Research Units for Emotion and Emotion Disorders, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, China/Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Joint Institute for Genetics and Genome Medicine Between Zhejiang University and University of Toronto, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
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11
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Zhao L, Wang X. Frontal cortex activity during the production of diverse social communication calls in marmoset monkeys. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6634. [PMID: 37857618 PMCID: PMC10587070 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42052-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Vocal communication is essential for social behaviors in humans and non-human primates. While the frontal cortex is crucial to human speech production, its role in vocal production in non-human primates has long been questioned. It is unclear whether activities in the frontal cortex represent diverse vocal signals used in non-human primate communication. Here we studied single neuron activities and local field potentials (LFP) in the frontal cortex of male marmoset monkeys while the animal engaged in vocal exchanges with conspecifics in a social environment. We found that both single neuron activities and LFP were modulated by the production of each of the four major call types. Moreover, neural activities showed distinct patterns for different call types and theta-band LFP oscillations showed phase-locking to the phrases of twitter calls, suggesting a neural representation of vocalization features. Our results suggest important functions of the marmoset frontal cortex in supporting the production of diverse vocalizations in communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyun Zhao
- Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
| | - Xiaoqin Wang
- Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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12
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Phaniraj N, Wierucka K, Zürcher Y, Burkart JM. Who is calling? Optimizing source identification from marmoset vocalizations with hierarchical machine learning classifiers. J R Soc Interface 2023; 20:20230399. [PMID: 37848054 PMCID: PMC10581777 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
With their highly social nature and complex vocal communication system, marmosets are important models for comparative studies of vocal communication and, eventually, language evolution. However, our knowledge about marmoset vocalizations predominantly originates from playback studies or vocal interactions between dyads, and there is a need to move towards studying group-level communication dynamics. Efficient source identification from marmoset vocalizations is essential for this challenge, and machine learning algorithms (MLAs) can aid it. Here we built a pipeline capable of plentiful feature extraction, meaningful feature selection, and supervised classification of vocalizations of up to 18 marmosets. We optimized the classifier by building a hierarchical MLA that first learned to determine the sex of the source, narrowed down the possible source individuals based on their sex and then determined the source identity. We were able to correctly identify the source individual with high precisions (87.21%-94.42%, depending on call type, and up to 97.79% after the removal of twins from the dataset). We also examine the robustness of identification across varying sample sizes. Our pipeline is a promising tool not only for source identification from marmoset vocalizations but also for analysing vocalizations of other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil Phaniraj
- Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology (IEA), University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich (ZNZ), University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411008, India
| | - Kaja Wierucka
- Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology (IEA), University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
- Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Yvonne Zürcher
- Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology (IEA), University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Judith M. Burkart
- Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology (IEA), University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich (ZNZ), University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), University of Zurich, Affolternstrasse 56, 8050 Zürich, Switzerland
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13
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Grijseels DM, Prendergast BJ, Gorman JC, Miller CT. The neurobiology of vocal communication in marmosets. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2023; 1528:13-28. [PMID: 37615212 PMCID: PMC10592205 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
An increasingly popular animal model for studying the neural basis of social behavior, cognition, and communication is the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). Interest in this New World primate across neuroscience is now being driven by their proclivity for prosociality across their repertoire, high volubility, and rapid development, as well as their amenability to naturalistic testing paradigms and freely moving neural recording and imaging technologies. The complement of these characteristics set marmosets up to be a powerful model of the primate social brain in the years to come. Here, we focus on vocal communication because it is the area that has both made the most progress and illustrates the prodigious potential of this species. We review the current state of the field with a focus on the various brain areas and networks involved in vocal perception and production, comparing the findings from marmosets to other animals, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dori M Grijseels
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Brendan J Prendergast
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Julia C Gorman
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Cory T Miller
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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14
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Cao X, Zhu L, Qi R, Wang X, Sun G, Ying Y, Chen R, Li X, Gao L. Effect of a High Estrogen Level in Early Pregnancy on the Development and Behavior of Marmoset Offspring. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:36175-36183. [PMID: 36278046 PMCID: PMC9583300 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c03263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) has risen steadily worldwide over the past 3 decades and helps many infertile families. However, ART treatments lead to an abnormal internal environment in the uterus, which may increase the risks of health problems for the offspring. Higher maternal estradiol (E2) is a notable feature in women who use ART treatments, and this has been suggested as a key factor for the risk of diseases in the offspring. In the current study, we have established a marmoset model with a high E2 level in early pregnancy to examine its potential risk to the development and behavior of the offspring. In comparison with the normal group, babies of the high E2 group exhibited lower average survival rates and birth weights. However, those who survived in the high E2 group demonstrated normal vocal production with rich call repertoires, normal speed during locomotion, and normal behaviors in the home cage. In contrast to the normal group, surviving babies of the high E2 group spent more time sleeping during development without signs of sleep disorders. In summary, our study revealed that high estrogen in early pregnancy may cause low survival rates and birth weights of the offspring, though the surviving infants did not show obvious behavioral deficiencies during development. The current study is a valuable and highly important non-human primate study for evaluating the safety of ART treatments. However, it is worth noting that some results did not reach the significant level, which may be due to the small sample size caused by animal shortage stemming from the COVID-19 epidemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyuan Cao
- Department
of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Interdisciplinary
Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310029, China
| | - Lin Zhu
- Department
of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Interdisciplinary
Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310029, China
| | - Runze Qi
- Department
of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Interdisciplinary
Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310029, China
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Department
of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Interdisciplinary
Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310029, China
- Key
Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College
of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Guanglong Sun
- Department
of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Interdisciplinary
Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310029, China
| | - Yue Ying
- Key
Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education), Department
of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, China
| | - Ruixue Chen
- Key
Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education), Department
of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, China
| | - Xinjian Li
- Department
of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Interdisciplinary
Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310029, China
- NHC
and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science
Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of
Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang
University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Key
Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310020, China
| | - Lixia Gao
- Department
of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Interdisciplinary
Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310029, China
- NHC
and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science
Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of
Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang
University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Key
Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College
of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
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15
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Burkart JM, Adriaense JEC, Brügger RK, Miss FM, Wierucka K, van Schaik CP. A convergent interaction engine: vocal communication among marmoset monkeys. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210098. [PMID: 35876206 PMCID: PMC9315454 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
To understand the primate origins of the human interaction engine, it is worthwhile to focus not only on great apes but also on callitrichid monkeys (marmosets and tamarins). Like humans, but unlike great apes, callitrichids are cooperative breeders, and thus habitually engage in coordinated joint actions, for instance when an infant is handed over from one group member to another. We first explore the hypothesis that these habitual cooperative interactions, the marmoset interactional ethology, are supported by the same key elements as found in the human interaction engine: mutual gaze (during joint action), turn-taking, volubility, as well as group-wide prosociality and trust. Marmosets show clear evidence of these features. We next examine the prediction that, if such an interaction engine can indeed give rise to more flexible communication, callitrichids may also possess elaborate communicative skills. A review of marmoset vocal communication confirms unusual abilities in these small primates: high volubility and large vocal repertoires, vocal learning and babbling in immatures, and voluntary usage and control. We end by discussing how the adoption of cooperative breeding during human evolution may have catalysed language evolution by adding these convergent consequences to the great ape-like cognitive system of our hominin ancestors. This article is part of the theme issue 'Revisiting the human 'interaction engine': comparative approaches to social action coordination'.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. M. Burkart
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution ISLE, University of Zurich, Affolternstrasse 56, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - J. E. C. Adriaense
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - R. K. Brügger
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - F. M. Miss
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - K. Wierucka
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - C. P. van Schaik
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution ISLE, University of Zurich, Affolternstrasse 56, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
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16
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Samandra R, Haque ZZ, Rosa MGP, Mansouri FA. The marmoset as a model for investigating the neural basis of social cognition in health and disease. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 138:104692. [PMID: 35569579 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Social-cognitive processes facilitate the use of environmental cues to understand others, and to be understood by others. Animal models provide vital insights into the neural underpinning of social behaviours. To understand social cognition at even deeper behavioural, cognitive, neural, and molecular levels, we need to develop more representative study models, which allow testing of novel hypotheses using human-relevant cognitive tasks. Due to their cooperative breeding system and relatively small size, common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) offer a promising translational model for such endeavours. In addition to having social behavioural patterns and group dynamics analogous to those of humans, marmosets have cortical brain areas relevant for the mechanistic analysis of human social cognition, albeit in simplified form. Thus, they are likely suitable animal models for deciphering the physiological processes, connectivity and molecular mechanisms supporting advanced cognitive functions. Here, we review findings emerging from marmoset social and behavioural studies, which have already provided significant insights into executive, motivational, social, and emotional dysfunction associated with neurological and psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranshikha Samandra
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Physiology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Zakia Z Haque
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Physiology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Marcello G P Rosa
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia; ARC Centre for Integrative Brain Function, Monash University, Australia.
| | - Farshad Alizadeh Mansouri
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Physiology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia; ARC Centre for Integrative Brain Function, Monash University, Australia.
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17
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Jovanovic V, Fishbein AR, de la Mothe L, Lee KF, Miller CT. Behavioral context affects social signal representations within single primate prefrontal cortex neurons. Neuron 2022; 110:1318-1326.e4. [PMID: 35108498 PMCID: PMC10064486 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
We tested whether social signal processing in more traditional, head-restrained contexts is representative of the putative natural analog-social communication-by comparing responses to vocalizations within individual neurons in marmoset prefrontal cortex (PFC) across a series of behavioral contexts ranging from traditional to naturalistic. Although vocalization-responsive neurons were evident in all contexts, cross-context consistency was notably limited. A response to these social signals when subjects were head-restrained was not predictive of a comparable neural response to the identical vocalizations during natural communication. This pattern was evident both within individual neurons and at a population level, as PFC activity could be reliably decoded for the behavioral context in which vocalizations were heard. These results suggest that neural representations of social signals in primate PFC are not static but highly flexible and likely reflect how nuances of the dynamic behavioral contexts affect the perception of these signals and what they communicate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Jovanovic
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Adam Ryan Fishbein
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Lisa de la Mothe
- Department of Psychology, Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN 37209, USA
| | - Kuo-Fen Lee
- Laboratory for Peptide Biology, Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Cory Thomas Miller
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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18
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Banerjee A, Vallentin D. Convergent behavioral strategies and neural computations during vocal turn-taking across diverse species. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 73:102529. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.102529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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19
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Scott JT, Bourne JA. Modelling behaviors relevant to brain disorders in the nonhuman primate: Are we there yet? Prog Neurobiol 2021; 208:102183. [PMID: 34728308 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.102183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Recent years have seen a profound resurgence of activity with nonhuman primates (NHPs) to model human brain disorders. From marmosets to macaques, the study of NHP species offers a unique window into the function of primate-specific neural circuits that are impossible to examine in other models. Examining how these circuits manifest into the complex behaviors of primates, such as advanced cognitive and social functions, has provided enormous insights to date into the mechanisms underlying symptoms of numerous neurological and neuropsychiatric illnesses. With the recent optimization of modern techniques to manipulate and measure neural activity in vivo, such as optogenetics and calcium imaging, NHP research is more well-equipped than ever to probe the neural mechanisms underlying pathological behavior. However, methods for behavioral experimentation and analysis in NHPs have noticeably failed to keep pace with these advances. As behavior ultimately lies at the junction between preclinical findings and its translation to clinical outcomes for brain disorders, approaches to improve the integrity, reproducibility, and translatability of behavioral experiments in NHPs requires critical evaluation. In this review, we provide a unifying account of existing brain disorder models using NHPs, and provide insights into the present and emerging contributions of behavioral studies to the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack T Scott
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - James A Bourne
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
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20
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Communication Network Reflects Social Instability in a Wild Siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) Population. INT J PRIMATOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-021-00227-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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21
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Testard C, Tremblay S, Platt M. From the field to the lab and back: neuroethology of primate social behavior. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 68:76-83. [PMID: 33567386 PMCID: PMC8243779 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Social mammals with more numerous and stronger social relationships live longer, healthier lives. Despite the established importance of social relationships, our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms by which they are pursued, formed, and maintained in primates remains largely confined to highly controlled laboratory settings which do not allow natural, dynamic social interactions to unfold. In this review, we argue that the neurobiological study of primate social behavior would benefit from adopting a neuroethological approach, that is, a perspective grounded in natural, species-typical behavior, with careful selection of animal models according to the scientific question at hand. We highlight macaques and marmosets as key animal models for human social behavior and summarize recent findings in the social domain for both species. We then review pioneering studies of dynamic social behaviors in small animals, which can inspire studies in larger primates where the technological landscape is now ripe for an ethological overhaul.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Testard
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Sébastien Tremblay
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michael Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Psychology Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Marketing Department, The Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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22
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Gultekin YB, Hildebrand DGC, Hammerschmidt K, Hage SR. High plasticity in marmoset monkey vocal development from infancy to adulthood. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/27/eabf2938. [PMID: 34193413 PMCID: PMC8245035 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf2938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The vocal behavior of human infants undergoes marked changes across their first year while becoming increasingly speech-like. Conversely, vocal development in nonhuman primates has been assumed to be largely predetermined and completed within the first postnatal months. Contradicting this assumption, we found a dichotomy between the development of call features and vocal sequences in marmoset monkeys, suggestive of a role for experience. While changes in call features were related to physical maturation, sequences of and transitions between calls remained flexible until adulthood. As in humans, marmoset vocal behavior developed in stages correlated with motor and social development stages. These findings are evidence for a prolonged phase of plasticity during marmoset vocal development, a crucial primate evolutionary preadaptation for the emergence of vocal learning and speech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasemin B Gultekin
- Neurobiology of Social Communication, Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Medical Center, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - David G C Hildebrand
- Laboratory of Neural Systems, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Kurt Hammerschmidt
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Steffen R Hage
- Neurobiology of Social Communication, Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Medical Center, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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23
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Nonverbal auditory communication - Evidence for integrated neural systems for voice signal production and perception. Prog Neurobiol 2020; 199:101948. [PMID: 33189782 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
While humans have developed a sophisticated and unique system of verbal auditory communication, they also share a more common and evolutionarily important nonverbal channel of voice signaling with many other mammalian and vertebrate species. This nonverbal communication is mediated and modulated by the acoustic properties of a voice signal, and is a powerful - yet often neglected - means of sending and perceiving socially relevant information. From the viewpoint of dyadic (involving a sender and a signal receiver) voice signal communication, we discuss the integrated neural dynamics in primate nonverbal voice signal production and perception. Most previous neurobiological models of voice communication modelled these neural dynamics from the limited perspective of either voice production or perception, largely disregarding the neural and cognitive commonalities of both functions. Taking a dyadic perspective on nonverbal communication, however, it turns out that the neural systems for voice production and perception are surprisingly similar. Based on the interdependence of both production and perception functions in communication, we first propose a re-grouping of the neural mechanisms of communication into auditory, limbic, and paramotor systems, with special consideration for a subsidiary basal-ganglia-centered system. Second, we propose that the similarity in the neural systems involved in voice signal production and perception is the result of the co-evolution of nonverbal voice production and perception systems promoted by their strong interdependence in dyadic interactions.
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24
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Close-range vocal interaction in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). PLoS One 2020; 15:e0227392. [PMID: 32298305 PMCID: PMC7161973 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Vocal communication in animals often involves taking turns vocalizing. In humans, turn-taking is a fundamental rule in conversation. Among non-human primates, the common marmoset is known to engage in antiphonal calling using phee calls and trill calls. Calls of the trill type are the most common, yet difficult to study, because they are not very loud and uttered in conditions when animals are in close proximity to one another. Here we recorded trill calls in captive pair-housed marmosets using wearable microphones, while the animals were together with their partner or separated, but within trill call range. Trills were exchanged mainly with the partner and not with other animals in the room. Animals placed outside the home cage increased their trill call rate and uttered more trills in response to their partner compared to strangers. The fundamental frequency, F0, of trills increased when animals were placed outside the cage. Our results indicate that trill calls can be monitored using wearable audio equipment and that minor changes in social context affect trill call interactions and spectral properties of trill calls.
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25
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Bodin C, Belin P. Exploring the cerebral substrate of voice perception in primate brains. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 375:20180386. [PMID: 31735143 PMCID: PMC6895549 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
One can consider human language to be the Swiss army knife of the vast domain of animal communication. There is now growing evidence suggesting that this technology may have emerged from already operational material instead of being a sudden innovation. Sharing ideas and thoughts with conspecifics via language constitutes an amazing ability, but what value would it hold if our conspecifics were not first detected and recognized? Conspecific voice (CV) perception is fundamental to communication and widely shared across the animal kingdom. Two questions that arise then are: is this apparently shared ability reflected in common cerebral substrate? And, how has this substrate evolved? The paper addresses these questions by examining studies on the cerebral basis of CV perception in humans' closest relatives, non-human primates. Neuroimaging studies, in particular, suggest the existence of a ‘voice patch system’, a network of interconnected cortical areas that can provide a common template for the cerebral processing of CV in primates. This article is part of the theme issue ‘What can animal communication teach us about human language?’
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémentine Bodin
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Pascal Belin
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.,Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
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26
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Zhao L, Roy S, Wang X. Rapid modulations of the vocal structure in marmoset monkeys. Hear Res 2019; 384:107811. [PMID: 31678893 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2019.107811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 10/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Humans and some animal species show flexibility in vocal production either voluntarily or in response to environmental cues. Studies have shown rapid spectrotemporal changes in speech or vocalizations during altered auditory feedback in humans, songbirds and bats. Non-human primates, however, have long been considered lacking the ability to modify spectrotemporal structures of their vocalizations. Here we tested the ability of the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), a highly vocal New World primate species to alter spectral and temporal structures of their species-specific vocalizations in the presence of perturbation signals. By presenting perturbation noises while marmosets were vocalizing phee calls, we showed that they were able to change in real-time the duration or spectral trajectory of an ongoing phee phrase by either terminating it before its completion, making rapid shifts in fundamental frequency or in some cases prolonging the duration beyond the natural range of phee calls. In some animals, we observed fragmented phee calls which were not produced by marmosets in their natural environment. Interestingly, some perturbation-induced changes persisted even in the absence of the perturbation noises. These observations provide further evidence that marmoset monkeys are capable of rapidly modulating their vocal structure and suggested potential voluntary vocal control by this non-human primate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyun Zhao
- Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Sabyasachi Roy
- Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Xiaoqin Wang
- Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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Eliades SJ, Wang X. Corollary Discharge Mechanisms During Vocal Production in Marmoset Monkeys. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2019; 4:805-812. [PMID: 31420219 PMCID: PMC6733626 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Interactions between motor systems and sensory processing are ubiquitous throughout the animal kingdom and play an important role in many sensorimotor behaviors, including both human speech and animal vocalization. During vocal production, the auditory system plays important roles in both encoding feedback of produced sounds, allowing one to self-monitor for vocal errors, and simultaneously maintaining sensitivity to the outside acoustic environment. Supporting these roles is an efferent motor-to-sensory signal known as a corollary discharge. This review summarizes recent work on the role of such signaling during vocalization in the marmoset monkey, a nonhuman primate model of social vocal communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J. Eliades
- Auditory and Communication Systems Laboratory, Department of Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | - Xiaoqin Wang
- Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, U.S.A
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Oesch N. Music and Language in Social Interaction: Synchrony, Antiphony, and Functional Origins. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1514. [PMID: 31312163 PMCID: PMC6614337 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Music and language are universal human abilities with many apparent similarities relating to their acoustics, structure, and frequent use in social situations. We might therefore expect them to be understood and processed similarly, and indeed an emerging body of research suggests that this is the case. But the focus has historically been on the individual, looking at the passive listener or the isolated speaker or performer, even though social interaction is the primary site of use for both domains. Nonetheless, an important goal of emerging research is to compare music and language in terms of acoustics and structure, social interaction, and functional origins to develop parallel accounts across the two domains. Indeed, a central aim of both of evolutionary musicology and language evolution research is to understand the adaptive significance or functional origin of human music and language. An influential proposal to emerge in recent years has been referred to as the social bonding hypothesis. Here, within a comparative approach to animal communication systems, I review empirical studies in support of the social bonding hypothesis in humans, non-human primates, songbirds, and various other mammals. In support of this hypothesis, I review six research fields: (i) the functional origins of music; (ii) the functional origins of language; (iii) mechanisms of social synchrony for human social bonding; (iv) language and social bonding in humans; (v) music and social bonding in humans; and (vi) pitch, tone and emotional expression in human speech and music. I conclude that the comparative study of complex vocalizations and behaviors in various extant species can provide important insights into the adaptive function(s) of these traits in these species, as well as offer evidence-based speculations for the existence of "musilanguage" in our primate ancestors, and thus inform our understanding of the biology and evolution of human music and language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Oesch
- Music and Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychology, The Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Cognitive Neuroscience of Communication and Hearing (CoNCH) Lab, Department of Psychology, The Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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29
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Abstract
Humans exhibit a high level of vocal plasticity in speech production, which allows us to acquire both native and foreign languages and dialects, and adapt to local accents in social communication. In comparison, non-human primates exhibit limited vocal plasticity, especially in adulthood, which would limit their ability to adapt to different social and environmental contexts in vocal communication. Here, we quantitatively examined the ability of adult common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), a highly vocal New World primate species, to modulate their vocal production in social contexts. While recent studies have demonstrated vocal learning in developing marmosets, we know much less about the extent of vocal learning and plasticity in adult marmosets. We found, in the present study, that marmosets were able to adaptively modify the spectrotemporal structure of their vocalizations when they encountered interfering sounds. Our experiments showed that marmosets shifted the spectrum of their vocalizations away from the spectrum of the interfering sounds in order to avoid the overlap. More interestingly, we found that marmosets made predictive and long-lasting spectral shifts in their vocalizations after they had experienced a particular type of interfering sound. These observations provided evidence for directional control of the vocalization spectrum and long-term vocal plasticity by adult marmosets. The findings reported here have important implications for the ability of this New World primate species in voluntarily and adaptively controlling their vocal production in social communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyun Zhao
- 1 Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore, MD 21205 , USA
| | - Bahar Boroumand Rad
- 2 Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University , Towson, MD 21252 , USA
| | - Xiaoqin Wang
- 1 Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore, MD 21205 , USA
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Okobi DE, Banerjee A, Matheson AMM, Phelps SM, Long MA. Motor cortical control of vocal interaction in neotropical singing mice. Science 2019; 363:983-988. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aau9480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Like many adaptive behaviors, acoustic communication often requires rapid modification of motor output in response to sensory cues. However, little is known about the sensorimotor transformations that underlie such complex natural behaviors. In this study, we examine vocal exchanges in Alston’s singing mouse (Scotinomys teguina). We find that males modify singing behavior during social interactions on a subsecond time course that resembles both traditional sensorimotor tasks and conversational speech. We identify an orofacial motor cortical region and, via a series of perturbation experiments, demonstrate a hierarchical control of vocal production, with the motor cortex influencing the pacing of singing behavior on a moment-by-moment basis, enabling precise vocal interactions. These results suggest a systems-level framework for understanding the sensorimotor transformations that underlie natural social interactions.
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Katsu N, Yamada K, Okanoya K, Nakamichi M. Temporal adjustment of short calls according to a partner during vocal turn-taking in Japanese macaques. Curr Zool 2019; 65:99-105. [PMID: 30697245 PMCID: PMC6347064 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Turn-taking is a common feature in human speech, and is also seen in the communication of other primate species. However, evidence of turn-taking in vocal exchanges within a short time frame is still scarce in nonhuman primates. This study investigated whether dynamic adjustment during turn-taking in short calls exists in Japanese macaques Macaca fuscata. We observed exchanges of short calls such as grunts, girneys, and short, low coos during social interactions in a free-ranging group of Japanese macaques. We found that the median gap between the turns of two callers was 250 ms. Call intervals varied among individuals, suggesting that call intervals were not fixed among individuals. Solo call intervals were shorter than call intervals interrupted by responses from partners (i.e., exchanges) and longer than those between the partner's reply and the reply to that call, indicating that the monkeys did not just repeat calls at certain intervals irrespective of the social situation. The differences in call intervals during exchanged and solo call sequences were explained by the response interval of the partner, suggesting an adjustment of call timing according to the tempo of the partner's call utterance. These findings suggest that monkeys display dynamic temporal adjustment in a short time window, which is comparable with turn-taking in human speech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriko Katsu
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazunori Yamada
- Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kazuo Okanoya
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masayuki Nakamichi
- Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
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Kato M, Yokoyama C, Kawasaki A, Takeda C, Koike T, Onoe H, Iriki A. Individual identity and affective valence in marmoset calls: in vivo brain imaging with vocal sound playback. Anim Cogn 2018; 21:331-343. [PMID: 29488110 PMCID: PMC5908821 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-018-1169-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Revised: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
As with humans, vocal communication is an important social tool for nonhuman primates. Common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) often produce whistle-like 'phee' calls when they are visually separated from conspecifics. The neural processes specific to phee call perception, however, are largely unknown, despite the possibility that these processes involve social information. Here, we examined behavioral and whole-brain mapping evidence regarding the detection of individual conspecific phee calls using an audio playback procedure. Phee calls evoked sound exploratory responses when the caller changed, indicating that marmosets can discriminate between caller identities. Positron emission tomography with [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose revealed that perception of phee calls from a single subject was associated with activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal, medial prefrontal, orbitofrontal cortices, and the amygdala. These findings suggest that these regions are implicated in cognitive and affective processing of salient social information. However, phee calls from multiple subjects induced brain activation in only some of these regions, such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. We also found distinctive brain deactivation and functional connectivity associated with phee call perception depending on the caller change. According to changes in pupillary size, phee calls from a single subject induced a higher arousal level compared with those from multiple subjects. These results suggest that marmoset phee calls convey information about individual identity and affective valence depending on the consistency or variability of the caller. Based on the flexible perception of the call based on individual recognition, humans and marmosets may share some neural mechanisms underlying conspecific vocal perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Kato
- Laboratory for Symbolic Cognitive Development, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama, Japan
- Research Development Section, Research Promotion Hub, Office for Enhancing Institutional Capacity, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Chihiro Yokoyama
- Division of Bio-Function Dynamics Imaging, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan.
| | - Akihiro Kawasaki
- Division of Bio-Function Dynamics Imaging, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Chiho Takeda
- Division of Bio-Function Dynamics Imaging, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Taku Koike
- Laboratory for Symbolic Cognitive Development, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Onoe
- Division of Bio-Function Dynamics Imaging, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Iriki
- Laboratory for Symbolic Cognitive Development, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama, Japan.
- RIKEN-NTU Research Centre for Human Biology, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
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Dahlhaus R. Of Men and Mice: Modeling the Fragile X Syndrome. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:41. [PMID: 29599705 PMCID: PMC5862809 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is one of the most common forms of inherited intellectual disability in all human societies. Caused by the transcriptional silencing of a single gene, the fragile x mental retardation gene FMR1, FXS is characterized by a variety of symptoms, which range from mental disabilities to autism and epilepsy. More than 20 years ago, a first animal model was described, the Fmr1 knock-out mouse. Several other models have been developed since then, including conditional knock-out mice, knock-out rats, a zebrafish and a drosophila model. Using these model systems, various targets for potential pharmaceutical treatments have been identified and many treatments have been shown to be efficient in preclinical studies. However, all attempts to turn these findings into a therapy for patients have failed thus far. In this review, I will discuss underlying difficulties and address potential alternatives for our future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina Dahlhaus
- Institute for Biochemistry, Emil-Fischer Centre, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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34
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Caselli CB, Ayres PH, Castro SC, Souto A, Schiel N, Miller CT. The role of extragroup encounters in a Neotropical, cooperative breeding primate, the common marmoset: a field playback experiment. Anim Behav 2018; 136:137-146. [PMID: 37065636 PMCID: PMC10101152 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
In cooperatively breeding species, encounters with intruders may serve multiple functions ranging from reaffirming group territory ranges to facilitating assessments for additional breeding opportunities. While these distinctive events offer the opportunity to investigate the delicate balance of these social dimensions within animal societies, their unpredictable occurrence makes witnessing and controlling these events in the wild particularly challenging. Here we used a field playback approach to simulate conspecific territorial incursions in cooperatively breeding common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) to distinguish between the three following non-mutually exclusive functions of intergroup encounters in this species of New World primate: territorial defense, mate defense, and assessment of breeding opportunities. For these experiments, we systematically broadcast species-typical long-distance contact calls - phees - commonly used in intergroup interactions from the core and periphery of the groups' territories using either male or female vocalizations. Consistent with a territorial defense hypothesis, a group's reaction was independent of the simulated intruder's sex and the response strength was greater when the playback stimulus was broadcast from the core areas of groups' territories relative to stimulus broadcast from periphery areas. However, sex differences in some facets of their responses suggest that this is not the only potential function for these encounters. Mated males and females started to move first in response to simulated intruders of the opposite sex, suggesting that these events offered opportunities to assess extra-pair breeding opportunities, while the occurrence of females' piloerection towards simulated female intruders is suggestive of mate-guarding. These data provide unique experimental evidence for the theory that excursions by conspecific intruders may serve multiple functions in a cooperatively breeding vertebrate and are reflective of the known complexities of common marmoset sociobiology.
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36
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Toarmino CR, Wong L, Miller CT. Audience affects decision-making in a marmoset communication network. Biol Lett 2017; 13:rsbl.2016.0934. [PMID: 28100720 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
An audience can have a profound effect on the dynamics of communicative interactions. As a result, non-human primates often adjust their social decision-making strategies depending on the audience composition at a given time. Here we sought to test how the unique vocal behaviour of multiple audience members affected decisions to communicate. To address this issue, we developed a novel experimental paradigm in which common marmosets directly interacted with multiple 'virtual monkeys' (VMs), each of whom represented an individual marmoset with distinct vocal behaviour. This active social signalling paradigm provided subjects an opportunity to interact with and learn about the behaviour of each VM in the network and apply this knowledge in subsequent communicative decisions. We found that subjects' propensity to interact with particular VMs was determined by the behaviour of each VM in the audience and suggests that marmoset social decision-making strategies are highly adaptive to nuances of the immediate communication network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille R Toarmino
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA .,Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Lauren Wong
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Cory T Miller
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.,Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.,Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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Distinct Neural Activities in Premotor Cortex during Natural Vocal Behaviors in a New World Primate, the Common Marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). J Neurosci 2017; 36:12168-12179. [PMID: 27903726 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1646-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2016] [Revised: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Although evidence from human studies has long indicated the crucial role of the frontal cortex in speech production, it has remained uncertain whether the frontal cortex in nonhuman primates plays a similar role in vocal communication. Previous studies of prefrontal and premotor cortices of macaque monkeys have found neural signals associated with cue- and reward-conditioned vocal production, but not with self-initiated or spontaneous vocalizations (Coudé et al., 2011; Hage and Nieder, 2013), which casts doubt on the role of the frontal cortex of the Old World monkeys in vocal communication. A recent study of marmoset frontal cortex observed modulated neural activities associated with self-initiated vocal production (Miller et al., 2015), but it did not delineate whether these neural activities were specifically attributed to vocal production or if they may result from other nonvocal motor activity such as orofacial motor movement. In the present study, we attempted to resolve these issues and examined single neuron activities in premotor cortex during natural vocal exchanges in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), a highly vocal New World primate. Neural activation and suppression were observed both before and during self-initiated vocal production. Furthermore, by comparing neural activities between self-initiated vocal production and nonvocal orofacial motor movement, we identified a subpopulation of neurons in marmoset premotor cortex that was activated or suppressed by vocal production, but not by orofacial movement. These findings provide clear evidence of the premotor cortex's involvement in self-initiated vocal production in natural vocal behaviors of a New World primate. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Human frontal cortex plays a crucial role in speech production. However, it has remained unclear whether the frontal cortex of nonhuman primates is involved in the production of self-initiated vocalizations during natural vocal communication. Using a wireless multichannel neural recording technique, we observed in the premotor cortex neural activation and suppression both before and during self-initiated vocalizations when marmosets, a highly vocal New World primate species, engaged in vocal exchanges with conspecifics. A novel finding of the present study is the discovery of a subpopulation of premotor cortex neurons that was activated by vocal production, but not by orofacial movement. These observations provide clear evidence of the premotor cortex's involvement in vocal production in a New World primate species.
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Barbosa MN, Mota MTDS, Barbosa MN. The effect of infant vocalization in alloparental responsiveness of common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). Am J Primatol 2017. [PMID: 28631840 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Among mammals, alloparental care can be influenced by hormones as well as by previous experience and sensory stimuli from the infants, such as sight and sound, smell, and physical contact with the infant. To determine the responsiveness of common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) nonreproductive females and males with and without previous experience in caretaking to infant sensory cues, we exposed 12 females and 12 males to vocalization recordings for 10 min under two conditions: (1) exposure to adult conspecific vocalization recordings, and (2) exposure to infant vocalization recordings. We recorded the frequency of approach toward the sound source, the time spent near it and locomotion frequency of males and females in the cage under both conditions. Blood samples were collected after each test for cortisol measuring by EIA method. The infant vocalization affects the behavioral and hormonal responses of males and females of common marmosets. The animals approached and spent more time near the sound source and showed an increase in locomotion during infant vocalization exposure compared to the adult vocalization. However, there was no significant difference in the behavioral response of animals when previous experience and the sex were taken into account. In both sexes, cortisol levels were significantly higher following infant vocalization exposure compared to the adult vocalization. These findings suggest that the infant vocalization appears to be an effective cue that facilitates the approach of the caregiver and maintaining their responsiveness and that the cortisol seems to be important for alertness to sensory stimuli, modulating their motivation to interact with the infant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maricele Nascimento Barbosa
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Centro de Biociências, UFRN, Caixa Postal 1511, Campus Universitário, Natal-RN, Brazil
| | - Maria Teresa da Silva Mota
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Centro de Biociências, UFRN, Caixa Postal 1511, Campus Universitário, Natal-RN, Brazil
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Abstract
Communication is an inherently interactive process that weaves together the fabric of both human and nonhuman primate societies. To investigate the properties of the primate brain during active social signaling, we recorded the responses of frontal cortex neurons as freely moving marmosets engaged in conversational exchanges with a visually occluded virtual marmoset. We found that small changes in firing rate (∼1 Hz) occurred across a broadly distributed population of frontal cortex neurons when marmosets heard a conspecific vocalization, and that these changes corresponded to subjects' likelihood of producing or withholding a vocal reply. Although the contributions of individual neurons were relatively small, large populations of neurons were able to clearly distinguish between these social contexts. Most significantly, this social context-dependent change in firing rate was evident even before subjects heard the vocalization, indicating that the probability of a conversational exchange was determined by the state of the frontal cortex at the time a vocalization was heard, and not by a decision driven by acoustic characteristics of the vocalization. We found that changes in neural activity scaled with the length of the conversation, with greater changes in firing rate evident for longer conversations. These data reveal specific and important facets of this neural activity that constrain its possible roles in active social signaling, and we hypothesize that the close coupling between frontal cortex activity and this natural, active primate social-signaling behavior facilitates social-monitoring mechanisms critical to conversational exchanges.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We provide evidence for a novel pattern of neural activity in the frontal cortex of freely moving, naturally behaving, marmoset monkeys that may facilitate natural primate conversations. We discovered small (∼1 Hz), but reliable, changes in neural activity that occurred before marmosets even heard a conspecific vocalization that, as a population, almost perfectly predicted whether subjects would produce a vocalization in response. The change in the state of the frontal cortex persisted throughout the conversation and its magnitude scaled linearly with the length of the interaction. We hypothesize that this social context-dependent change in frontal cortex activity is supported by several mechanisms, such as social arousal and attention, and facilitates social monitoring critical for vocal coordination characteristic of human and nonhuman primate conversations.
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40
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Eliades SJ, Wang X. Contributions of sensory tuning to auditory-vocal interactions in marmoset auditory cortex. Hear Res 2017; 348:98-111. [PMID: 28284736 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2017.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2016] [Revised: 02/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
During speech, humans continuously listen to their own vocal output to ensure accurate communication. Such self-monitoring is thought to require the integration of information about the feedback of vocal acoustics with internal motor control signals. The neural mechanism of this auditory-vocal interaction remains largely unknown at the cellular level. Previous studies in naturally vocalizing marmosets have demonstrated diverse neural activities in auditory cortex during vocalization, dominated by a vocalization-induced suppression of neural firing. How underlying auditory tuning properties of these neurons might contribute to this sensory-motor processing is unknown. In the present study, we quantitatively compared marmoset auditory cortex neural activities during vocal production with those during passive listening. We found that neurons excited during vocalization were readily driven by passive playback of vocalizations and other acoustic stimuli. In contrast, neurons suppressed during vocalization exhibited more diverse playback responses, including responses that were not predictable by auditory tuning properties. These results suggest that vocalization-related excitation in auditory cortex is largely a sensory-driven response. In contrast, vocalization-induced suppression is not well predicted by a neuron's auditory responses, supporting the prevailing theory that internal motor-related signals contribute to the auditory-vocal interaction observed in auditory cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Eliades
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Xiaoqin Wang
- Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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41
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Eliades SJ, Miller CT. Marmoset vocal communication: Behavior and neurobiology. Dev Neurobiol 2016; 77:286-299. [DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Revised: 09/27/2016] [Accepted: 10/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Steven J. Eliades
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery; University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine; Philadelphia Pennsylvania
| | - Cory T. Miller
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory; University of California San Diego; San Diego California
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King SL. You talkin' to me? Interactive playback is a powerful yet underused tool in animal communication research. Biol Lett 2016; 11:rsbl.2015.0403. [PMID: 26136047 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2015.0403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the years, playback experiments have helped further our understanding of the wonderful world of animal communication. They have provided fundamental insights into animal behaviour and the function of communicative signals in numerous taxa. As important as these experiments are, however, there is strong evidence to suggest that the information conveyed in a signal may only have value when presented interactively. By their very nature, signalling exchanges are interactive and therefore, an interactive playback design is a powerful tool for examining the function of such exchanges. While researchers working on frog and songbird vocal interactions have long championed interactive playback, it remains surprisingly underused across other taxa. The interactive playback approach is not limited to studies of acoustic signalling, but can be applied to other sensory modalities, including visual, chemical and electrical communication. Here, I discuss interactive playback as a potent yet underused technique in the field of animal behaviour. I present a concise review of studies that have used interactive playback thus far, describe how it can be applied, and discuss its limitations and challenges. My hope is that this review will result in more scientists applying this innovative technique to their own study subjects, as a means of furthering our understanding of the function of signalling interactions in animal communication systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie L King
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, UK
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Miller CT, Freiwald WA, Leopold DA, Mitchell JF, Silva AC, Wang X. Marmosets: A Neuroscientific Model of Human Social Behavior. Neuron 2016; 90:219-33. [PMID: 27100195 PMCID: PMC4840471 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 186] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Revised: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/18/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) has garnered interest recently as a powerful model for the future of neuroscience research. Much of this excitement has centered on the species' reproductive biology and compatibility with gene editing techniques, which together have provided a path for transgenic marmosets to contribute to the study of disease as well as basic brain mechanisms. In step with technical advances is the need to establish experimental paradigms that optimally tap into the marmosets' behavioral and cognitive capacities. While conditioned task performance of a marmoset can compare unfavorably with rhesus monkey performance on conventional testing paradigms, marmosets' social behavior and cognition are more similar to that of humans. For example, marmosets are among only a handful of primates that, like humans, routinely pair bond and care cooperatively for their young. They are also notably pro-social and exhibit social cognitive abilities, such as imitation, that are rare outside of the Apes. In this Primer, we describe key facets of marmoset natural social behavior and demonstrate that emerging behavioral paradigms are well suited to isolate components of marmoset cognition that are highly relevant to humans. These approaches generally embrace natural behavior, which has been rare in conventional primate testing, and thus allow for a new consideration of neural mechanisms underlying primate social cognition and signaling. We anticipate that through parallel technical and paradigmatic advances, marmosets will become an essential model of human social behavior, including its dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cory T Miller
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Winrich A Freiwald
- Laboratory of Neural Systems, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave., New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - David A Leopold
- Section on Cognitive Neurophysiology and Imaging, Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, 6001 Executive Blvd., Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jude F Mitchell
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, 358 Meliora Hall, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
| | - Afonso C Silva
- Section on Cerebral Microcirculation, Laboratory of Functional and Molecular Imaging, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, 6001 Executive Blvd., Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Xiaoqin Wang
- Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Ave., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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Takahashi DY, Fenley AR, Teramoto Y, Narayanan DZ, Borjon JI, Holmes P, Ghazanfar AA. The developmental dynamics of marmoset monkey vocal production. Science 2015; 349:734-8. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aab1058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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Abstract
Complex audio-vocal integration systems depend on a strong interconnection between the auditory and the vocal motor system. To gain cognitive control over audio-vocal interaction during vocal motor control, the PFC needs to be involved. Neurons in the ventrolateral PFC (VLPFC) have been shown to separately encode the sensory perceptions and motor production of vocalizations. It is unknown, however, whether single neurons in the PFC reflect audio-vocal interactions. We therefore recorded single-unit activity in the VLPFC of rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) while they produced vocalizations on command or passively listened to monkey calls. We found that 12% of randomly selected neurons in VLPFC modulated their discharge rate in response to acoustic stimulation with species-specific calls. Almost three-fourths of these auditory neurons showed an additional modulation of their discharge rates either before and/or during the monkeys' motor production of vocalization. Based on these audio-vocal interactions, the VLPFC might be well positioned to combine higher order auditory processing with cognitive control of the vocal motor output. Such audio-vocal integration processes in the VLPFC might constitute a precursor for the evolution of complex learned audio-vocal integration systems, ultimately giving rise to human speech.
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King SL. You talkin' to me? Interactive playback is a powerful yet underused tool in animal communication research. Biol Lett 2015. [PMID: 26136047 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2015.0403.] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the years, playback experiments have helped further our understanding of the wonderful world of animal communication. They have provided fundamental insights into animal behaviour and the function of communicative signals in numerous taxa. As important as these experiments are, however, there is strong evidence to suggest that the information conveyed in a signal may only have value when presented interactively. By their very nature, signalling exchanges are interactive and therefore, an interactive playback design is a powerful tool for examining the function of such exchanges. While researchers working on frog and songbird vocal interactions have long championed interactive playback, it remains surprisingly underused across other taxa. The interactive playback approach is not limited to studies of acoustic signalling, but can be applied to other sensory modalities, including visual, chemical and electrical communication. Here, I discuss interactive playback as a potent yet underused technique in the field of animal behaviour. I present a concise review of studies that have used interactive playback thus far, describe how it can be applied, and discuss its limitations and challenges. My hope is that this review will result in more scientists applying this innovative technique to their own study subjects, as a means of furthering our understanding of the function of signalling interactions in animal communication systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie L King
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, UK
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Choi JY, Takahashi DY, Ghazanfar AA. Cooperative vocal control in marmoset monkeys via vocal feedback. J Neurophysiol 2015; 114:274-83. [PMID: 25925323 PMCID: PMC4507967 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00228.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Accepted: 04/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans adjust speech amplitude as a function of distance from a listener; we do so in a manner that would compensate for such distance. This ability is presumed to be the product of high-level sociocognitive skills. Nonhuman primates are thought to lack such socially related flexibility in vocal production. Using predictions from a simple arousal-based model whereby vocal feedback from a conspecific modulates the drive to produce a vocalization, we tested whether another primate exhibits this type of cooperative vocal control. We conducted a playback experiment with marmoset monkeys and simulated "far-away" and "nearby" conspecifics using contact calls that differed in sound intensity. We found that marmoset monkeys increased the amplitude of their contact calls and produced such calls with shorter response latencies toward more distant conspecifics. The same was not true in response to changing levels of background noise. To account for how simulated conspecific distance can change both the amplitude and timing of vocal responses, we developed a model that incorporates dynamic interactions between the auditory system and limbic "drive" systems. Overall, our data show that, like humans, marmoset monkeys cooperatively control the acoustics of their vocalizations according to changes in listener distance, increasing the likelihood that a conspecific will hear their call. However, we propose that such cooperative vocal control is a system property that does not necessitate any particularly advanced sociocognitive skill. At least in marmosets, this vocal control can be parsimoniously explained by the regulation of arousal states across two interacting individuals via vocal feedback.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung Yoon Choi
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey; Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey; and
| | - Daniel Y Takahashi
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey; Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey; and
| | - Asif A Ghazanfar
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey; Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey; and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
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High-field functional magnetic resonance imaging of vocalization processing in marmosets. Sci Rep 2015; 5:10950. [PMID: 26091254 PMCID: PMC4473644 DOI: 10.1038/srep10950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2014] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Vocalizations are behaviorally critical sounds, and this behavioral importance is reflected in the ascending auditory system, where conspecific vocalizations are increasingly over-represented at higher processing stages. Recent evidence suggests that, in macaques, this increasing selectivity for vocalizations might culminate in a cortical region that is densely populated by vocalization-preferring neurons. Such a region might be a critical node in the representation of vocal communication sounds, underlying the recognition of vocalization type, caller and social context. These results raise the questions of whether cortical specializations for vocalization processing exist in other species, their cortical location, and their relationship to the auditory processing hierarchy. To explore cortical specializations for vocalizations in another species, we performed high-field fMRI of the auditory cortex of a vocal New World primate, the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). Using a sparse imaging paradigm, we discovered a caudal-rostral gradient for the processing of conspecific vocalizations in marmoset auditory cortex, with regions of the anterior temporal lobe close to the temporal pole exhibiting the highest preference for vocalizations. These results demonstrate similar cortical specializations for vocalization processing in macaques and marmosets, suggesting that cortical specializations for vocal processing might have evolved before the lineages of these species diverged.
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Miller CT, Thomas AW, Nummela SU, de la Mothe LA. Responses of primate frontal cortex neurons during natural vocal communication. J Neurophysiol 2015; 114:1158-71. [PMID: 26084912 DOI: 10.1152/jn.01003.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2014] [Accepted: 06/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of primate frontal cortex in vocal communication and its significance in language evolution have a controversial history. While evidence indicates that vocalization processing occurs in ventrolateral prefrontal cortex neurons, vocal-motor activity has been conjectured to be primarily subcortical and suggestive of a distinctly different neural architecture from humans. Direct evidence of neural activity during natural vocal communication is limited, as previous studies were performed in chair-restrained animals. Here we recorded the activity of single neurons across multiple regions of prefrontal and premotor cortex while freely moving marmosets engaged in a natural vocal behavior known as antiphonal calling. Our aim was to test whether neurons in marmoset frontal cortex exhibited responses during vocal-signal processing and/or vocal-motor production in the context of active, natural communication. We observed motor-related changes in single neuron activity during vocal production, but relatively weak sensory responses for vocalization processing during this natural behavior. Vocal-motor responses occurred both prior to and during call production and were typically coupled to the timing of each vocalization pulse. Despite the relatively weak sensory responses a population classifier was able to distinguish between neural activity that occurred during presentations of vocalization stimuli that elicited an antiphonal response and those that did not. These findings are suggestive of the role that nonhuman primate frontal cortex neurons play in natural communication and provide an important foundation for more explicit tests of the functional contributions of these neocortical areas during vocal behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cory T Miller
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California; Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California;
| | - A Wren Thomas
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California; Helen Wills Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California; and
| | - Samuel U Nummela
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Lisa A de la Mothe
- Department of Psychology, Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee
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