Common marmosets are sensitive to simple dependencies at variable distances in an artificial grammar
(2019) In Evolution and Human Behavior 40(2). p.214-221- Abstract
Recognizing that two elements within a sequence of variable length depend on each other is a key ability in understanding the structure of language and music. Perception of such interdependencies has previously been documented in chimpanzees in the visual domain and in human infants and common squirrel monkeys with auditory playback experiments, but it remains unclear whether it typifies primates in general. Here, we investigated the ability of common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) to recognize and respond to such dependencies. We tested subjects in a familiarization-discrimination playback experiment using stimuli composed of pure tones that either conformed or did not conform to a grammatical rule. After familiarization to sequences... (More)
Recognizing that two elements within a sequence of variable length depend on each other is a key ability in understanding the structure of language and music. Perception of such interdependencies has previously been documented in chimpanzees in the visual domain and in human infants and common squirrel monkeys with auditory playback experiments, but it remains unclear whether it typifies primates in general. Here, we investigated the ability of common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) to recognize and respond to such dependencies. We tested subjects in a familiarization-discrimination playback experiment using stimuli composed of pure tones that either conformed or did not conform to a grammatical rule. After familiarization to sequences with dependencies, marmosets spontaneously discriminated between sequences containing and lacking dependencies (‘consistent’ and ‘inconsistent’, respectively), independent of stimulus length. Marmosets looked more often to the sound source when hearing sequences consistent with the familiarization stimuli, as previously found in human infants. Crucially, looks were coded automatically by computer software, avoiding human bias. Our results support the hypothesis that the ability to perceive dependencies at variable distances was already present in the common ancestor of all anthropoid primates (Simiiformes).
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- author
- Reber, Stephan A. LU ; Šlipogor, Vedrana ; Oh, Jinook ; Ravignani, Andrea ; Hoeschele, Marisa ; Bugnyar, Thomas and Fitch, W. Tecumseh
- organization
- publishing date
- 2019
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Automated video coding, Familiarity preference, Familiarization-discrimination, Interdependencies, Language evolution, Simiiformes
- in
- Evolution and Human Behavior
- volume
- 40
- issue
- 2
- pages
- 214 - 221
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:31007503
- scopus:85058969361
- ISSN
- 1090-5138
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2018.11.006
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- c54308ce-431a-43f5-b674-e0b1abb2f723
- date added to LUP
- 2019-01-10 09:09:09
- date last changed
- 2024-04-15 19:46:30
@article{c54308ce-431a-43f5-b674-e0b1abb2f723,
abstract = {{<p>Recognizing that two elements within a sequence of variable length depend on each other is a key ability in understanding the structure of language and music. Perception of such interdependencies has previously been documented in chimpanzees in the visual domain and in human infants and common squirrel monkeys with auditory playback experiments, but it remains unclear whether it typifies primates in general. Here, we investigated the ability of common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) to recognize and respond to such dependencies. We tested subjects in a familiarization-discrimination playback experiment using stimuli composed of pure tones that either conformed or did not conform to a grammatical rule. After familiarization to sequences with dependencies, marmosets spontaneously discriminated between sequences containing and lacking dependencies (‘consistent’ and ‘inconsistent’, respectively), independent of stimulus length. Marmosets looked more often to the sound source when hearing sequences consistent with the familiarization stimuli, as previously found in human infants. Crucially, looks were coded automatically by computer software, avoiding human bias. Our results support the hypothesis that the ability to perceive dependencies at variable distances was already present in the common ancestor of all anthropoid primates (Simiiformes).</p>}},
author = {{Reber, Stephan A. and Šlipogor, Vedrana and Oh, Jinook and Ravignani, Andrea and Hoeschele, Marisa and Bugnyar, Thomas and Fitch, W. Tecumseh}},
issn = {{1090-5138}},
keywords = {{Automated video coding; Familiarity preference; Familiarization-discrimination; Interdependencies; Language evolution; Simiiformes}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{2}},
pages = {{214--221}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Evolution and Human Behavior}},
title = {{Common marmosets are sensitive to simple dependencies at variable distances in an artificial grammar}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2018.11.006}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2018.11.006}},
volume = {{40}},
year = {{2019}},
}