Amostragem longitudinal e em larga escala da comunicação ao longo do dia em Callithrix jacchus (Callitrichidae, Primates)

Abstract

Communication is a vital behavior for the survival and reproduction of all species, including common marmosets. The fact that vocal transmission takes place calls into question vocal learning, previously thought to be exclusive to the human species. Studies with non- human primates demonstrated high vocal plasticity, from the presence of dialects between different groups to changes in the call according to social status. This plasticity makes it possible to perceive that several factors may influence the variation of vocal behaviors, such as the circadian cycle, which influences almost all living organisms, regulating biological and behavioral mechanisms, like foraging and reproduction. As for Callithrix jacchus, a primate with a diverse and complex vocal behavior, communication is extremely important and it is to be expected that with a repertoire of approximately 15 types of vocalizations, they are influenced by external factors, like this as a temporal variation. So, there was a need for further studies in non-human primates, such as the white-tufted marmoset, to complement and improve the acoustic monitoring of these animals. Aiming to validate the hypothesis of vocal variation throughout the day, the study was carried out with captive animals from the Brain Institute of UFRN being recorded continuously throughout the day through an automated monitoring system with high quality and low-cost recorder. Thus, it was possible to observe that the variation throughout the day depends on the type of vocalization. In addition, we were able to conclude that the monitoring system reached the expectations of continuous recording, which could make possible future studies with populations of this species in the field.