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May 29, 2021 10:00 am

Primates Change Their 'Accent' To Avoid Conflict

New research has discovered that monkeys will use the "accent" of another species when they enter its territory to help them better understand one another and potentially avoid conflict. Phys.Org reports: Published in the journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, the study is the first to show asymmetric call convergence in primates, meaning that one species chooses to adopt another species' call patterns to communicate. The study, co-authored by Dr. Jacob Dunn of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), investigated the behavior of 15 groups of pied tamarins (Saguinus bicolor) and red-handed tamarins (Saguinus midas) in the Brazilian Amazon. The researchers found that when groups of red-handed tamarins entered territory shared with pied tamarins, the red-handed tamarins adopted the long calls used by the pied tamarins. Red-handed tamarins have greater vocal flexibility and use calls more often than pied tamarins, and the scientists believe they might alter their calls to avoid territorial disputes over resources. "We found that only the red-handed tamarins change their calls to those of the pied tamarins, and this only happens in places where they occur together," [said lead author Tainara Sobroza, of the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia.] "Why their calls converge in this way is not certain, but it is possibly to help with identification when defending territory or competing over resources."

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