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Ekström AG, Gannon C, Edlund J, Moran S, Lameira AR. Chimpanzee utterances refute purported missing links for novel vocalizations and syllabic speech. Sci Rep 2024; 14:17135. [PMID: 39054330 PMCID: PMC11272771 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-67005-w] [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: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Nonhuman great apes have been claimed to be unable to learn human words due to a lack of the necessary neural circuitry. We recovered original footage of two enculturated chimpanzees uttering the word "mama" and subjected recordings to phonetic analysis. Our analyses demonstrate that chimpanzees are capable of syllabic production, achieving consonant-to-vowel phonetic contrasts via the simultaneous recruitment and coupling of voice, jaw and lips. In an online experiment, human listeners naive to the recordings' origins reliably perceived chimpanzee utterances as syllabic utterances, primarily as "ma-ma", among foil syllables. Our findings demonstrate that in the absence of direct data-driven examination, great ape vocal production capacities have been underestimated. Chimpanzees possess the neural building blocks necessary for speech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel G Ekström
- Speech, Music & Hearing, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Lindstedtsvägen 24, 118 28, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | | | - Jens Edlund
- Speech, Music & Hearing, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Lindstedtsvägen 24, 118 28, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Steven Moran
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Department of Anthropology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, USA
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Giamundo M, Trapeau R, Thoret E, Renaud L, Nougaret S, Brochier TG, Belin P. A population of neurons selective for human voice in the monkey brain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2405588121. [PMID: 38861607 PMCID: PMC11194596 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2405588121] [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: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Many animals can extract useful information from the vocalizations of other species. Neuroimaging studies have evidenced areas sensitive to conspecific vocalizations in the cerebral cortex of primates, but how these areas process heterospecific vocalizations remains unclear. Using fMRI-guided electrophysiology, we recorded the spiking activity of individual neurons in the anterior temporal voice patches of two macaques while they listened to complex sounds including vocalizations from several species. In addition to cells selective for conspecific macaque vocalizations, we identified an unsuspected subpopulation of neurons with strong selectivity for human voice, not merely explained by spectral or temporal structure of the sounds. The auditory representational geometry implemented by these neurons was strongly related to that measured in the human voice areas with neuroimaging and only weakly to low-level acoustical structure. These findings provide new insights into the neural mechanisms involved in auditory expertise and the evolution of communication systems in primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Giamundo
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7289 CNRS, Marseille13005, France
- Institute of Language Communication and the Brain, Marseille13000, France
| | - Regis Trapeau
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7289 CNRS, Marseille13005, France
| | - Etienne Thoret
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7289 CNRS, Marseille13005, France
- Institute of Language Communication and the Brain, Marseille13000, France
| | - Luc Renaud
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7289 CNRS, Marseille13005, France
| | - Simon Nougaret
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7289 CNRS, Marseille13005, France
| | - Thomas G. Brochier
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7289 CNRS, Marseille13005, France
| | - Pascal Belin
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7289 CNRS, Marseille13005, France
- Institute of Language Communication and the Brain, Marseille13000, France
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Lefevre A, Meza J, Miller CT. Long-range projections of oxytocin neurons in the marmoset brain. J Neuroendocrinol 2024; 36:e13397. [PMID: 38659185 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The neurohormone oxytocin (OT) has become a major target for the development of novel therapeutic strategies to treat psychiatric disorders such as autism spectrum disorder because of its integral role in governing many facets of mammalian social behavior. Whereas extensive work in rodents has produced much of our knowledge of OT, we lack basic information about its neurobiology in primates making it difficult to interpret the limited effects that OT manipulations have had in human patients. In fact, previous studies have revealed only limited OT fibers in primate brains. Here, we investigated the OT connectome in marmoset using immunohistochemistry, and mapped OT fibers throughout the brains of adult male and female marmoset monkeys. We found extensive OT projections reaching limbic and cortical areas that are involved in the regulation of social behaviors, such as the amygdala, the medial prefrontal cortex, and the basal ganglia. The pattern of OT fibers observed in marmosets is notably similar to the OT connectomes described in rodents. Our findings here contrast with previous results by demonstrating a broad distribution of OT throughout the marmoset brain. Given the prevalence of this neurohormone in the primate brain, methods developed in rodents to manipulate endogenous OT are likely to be applicable in marmosets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Lefevre
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences Marc Jeannerod, CNRS and University of Lyon, Bron, France
| | - Jazlynn Meza
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, 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
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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Li J, Aoi MC, Miller CT. Representing the dynamics of natural marmoset vocal behaviors in frontal cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.17.585423. [PMID: 38559173 PMCID: PMC10979968 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.17.585423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Here we tested the respective contributions of primate premotor and prefrontal cortex to support vocal behavior. We applied a model-based GLM analysis that better accounts for the inherent variance in natural, continuous behaviors to characterize the activity of neurons throughout 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 has implications for our concepts of the role that frontal cortex plays in governing ethological behaviors in primates.
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Dureux A, Zanini A, Everling S. Mapping of facial and vocal processing in common marmosets with ultra-high field fMRI. Commun Biol 2024; 7:317. [PMID: 38480875 PMCID: PMC10937914 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06002-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Primate communication relies on multimodal cues, such as vision and audition, to facilitate the exchange of intentions, enable social interactions, avoid predators, and foster group cohesion during daily activities. Understanding the integration of facial and vocal signals is pivotal to comprehend social interaction. In this study, we acquire whole-brain ultra-high field (9.4 T) fMRI data from awake marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) to explore brain responses to unimodal and combined facial and vocal stimuli. Our findings reveal that the multisensory condition not only intensifies activations in the occipito-temporal face patches and auditory voice patches but also engages a more extensive network that includes additional parietal, prefrontal and cingulate areas, compared to the summed responses of the unimodal conditions. By uncovering the neural network underlying multisensory audiovisual integration in marmosets, this study highlights the efficiency and adaptability of the marmoset brain in processing facial and vocal social signals, providing significant insights into primate social communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Dureux
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5K8, Canada.
| | - Alessandro Zanini
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5K8, Canada
| | - Stefan Everling
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5K8, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5K8, Canada
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Lefevre A, Meza J, Miller CT. Long range projections of oxytocin neurons in the marmoset brain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.02.573953. [PMID: 38260560 PMCID: PMC10802265 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.02.573953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
The neurohormone oxytocin (OT) has become a major target for the development of novel therapeutic strategies to treat psychiatric disorders such as autism spectrum disorder because of its integral role in governing many facets of mammalian social behavior. Whereas extensive work in rodents has produced much of our knowledge of OT, we lack basic information about its neurobiology in primates making it difficult to interpret the limited effects that OT manipulations have had in human patients. In fact, previous studies have revealed only limited OT fibers in primate brains. Here, we investigated the OT connectome in marmoset using immunohistochemistry, and mapped OT fibers throughout the brains of adult male and female marmoset monkeys. We found extensive OT projections reaching limbic and cortical areas that are involved in the regulation of social behaviors, such as the amygdala, the medial prefrontal cortex and the basal ganglia. The pattern of OT fibers observed in marmosets is notably similar to the OT connectomes described in rodents. Our findings here contrast with previous results by demonstrating a broad distribution of OT throughout the marmoset brain. Given the prevalence of this neurohormone in the primate brain, methods developed in rodents to manipulate endogenous OT are likely to be applicable in marmosets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Lefevre
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Institute of cognitive sciences Marc Jeannerod, CNRS and University of Lyon, Bron, France
| | - Jazlynn Meza
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, 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
- Neuroscience graduate program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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Zanini A, Dureux A, Jafari A, Gilbert KM, Zeman P, Bellyou M, Li A, Tuin CV, Everling S. In vivo functional brain mapping using ultra-high-field fMRI in awake common marmosets. STAR Protoc 2023; 4:102586. [PMID: 37738120 PMCID: PMC10520676 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is gaining attention in the field of cognitive neuroscience. The development of an effective protocol for fMRI data acquisition in awake marmosets is a key factor in developing reliable comparative studies. Here, we describe a protocol to obtain fMRI data in awake marmosets using auditory and visual stimulation. We describe steps for surgical and anesthesia procedures, MRI training, and positioning the marmosets within an MRI-compatible body restraint. We then detail fMRI scanning and preprocessing of functional images. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Jafari et al. (2023).1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Zanini
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
| | - Audrey Dureux
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Azadeh Jafari
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Kyle M Gilbert
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Peter Zeman
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Miranda Bellyou
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Alex Li
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Cheryl Vander Tuin
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Stefan Everling
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
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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] [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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Belin P, Trapeau R, Obliger-Debouche M. A small, but vocal, brain. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112651. [PMID: 37314925 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112651] [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: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In the May issue of Cell Reports, Jafari et al.1 used ultra-high-field fMRI to show that marmosets, like humans and macaques, possess an extensive network of voice-selective areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal Belin
- La Timone Neuroscience Institute, Marseille, France.
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