Cited by 131Animal Vocal Communication and BehaviorPrimate Behavior and EcologyLanguage and cultural evolution

Vocal turn-taking in a non-human primate is learned during ontogeny

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Chow, Cecilia P., Mitchell, Jude F., Miller, Cory T.·2015·Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Abstract

Conversational turn-taking is an integral part of language development, as it reflects a confluence of social factors that mitigate communication. Humans coordinate the timing of speech based on the behaviour of another speaker, a behaviour that is learned during infancy. While adults in several primate species engage in vocal turn-taking, the degree to which similar learning processes underlie its development in these non-human species or are unique to language is not clear. We recorded the natural vocal interactions of common marmosets ( Callithrix jacchus ) occurring with both their sibling twins and parents over the first year of life and observed at least two parallels with language development. First, marmoset turn-taking is a learned vocal behaviour. Second, marmoset parents potentially played a direct role in guiding the development of turn-taking by providing feedback to their offspring when errors occurred during vocal interactions similarly to what has been observed in humans. Though species-differences are also evident, these findings suggest that similar learning mechanisms may be implemented in the ontogeny of vocal turn-taking across our Order, a finding that has important implications for our understanding of language evolution.

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Crossref · 10.1098/rspb.2015.0069

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Authors
Chow, C. P., Mitchell, J. F., & Miller, C. T.
Affiliations
University of California San Diego (US)
Corresponding author
Miller, Cory T.
Venue
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Published
2015-05-22
Volume
282
Issue
1807
Pages
20150069
ISSN
  • 0080-4649 (ISSN-L)
  • 0962-8452
  • 1471-2954
OpenAlex
W2126055092
Cited by
131
References
43
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 4
FWCI
14.22
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R21MH104756)
  • National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (R01DC012087)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Developmental Biology › Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
  • Social Sciences › Cultural Studies › Language and cultural evolution
Keywords
vocal turn-taking, Callithrix jacchus, ontogeny, vocal learning, social feedback, language evolution, primate vocal communication
MeSH terms
Animals, Animal Communication, Callithrix, Cooperative Behavior, Female, Learning, Male, Vocalization, Animal

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