(NewsNation) — Marmoset monkeys speak to each other by name and know when they are being addressed, according to a study.
Published in Journal Science, researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem found Marmosets use “phee calls” to communicate directly using names.
These calls were thought to have only occurred between elephants, dolphins, and humans.
“This discovery highlights the complexity of social communication among marmosets,” Dr. David Omer, lead scientist in the study, said via Eureka Alert.
“These calls are not just used for self-localization, as previously thought— marmosets use these specific calls to label and address specific individuals.”
As part of the study, two Marmosets were placed in the same room with a visual barrier separating them; thus forcing the pair to communicate verbally.
These conversations also involved communication with a computer system, leading researchers to learn they were able to recognize when being spoken to and respond accordingly.
““Marmosets live in small monogamous family groups and take care of their young together, much like humans do,” Omer added.
“These similarities suggest that they faced comparable evolutionary social challenges to our early pre-linguistic ancestors, which might have led them to develop similar communicating methods.”