Voice, music and the cotton-top tamarin

In a study by University of Wisconsin-Madison psychology professor Charles Snowdon, music based on soothing, friendly monkey calls  tended to calm cotton-top tamarins, a species native of South America. Music based on fear and threat calls stimulated anxious behavior.

The voice of the cotton-top tamarin, courtesy Charles Snowdon, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Monkey music, copyright David Teie, University of Maryland

(Hint: play these for someone else. Can they distinguish a threatening call from a soothing, friendly one?)

Photos


Caption: Cotton-top tamarins grew calmer after they heard music compositions based on their own calm, friendly calls. But the monkeys became more agitated when University of Wisconsin-Madison psychology professor Charles Snowdon played music that contained elements of their own threatening or fearful calls.
Photo: Bryce Richter
Date: 2008
High-resolution JPEG


Caption: Cotton-top tamarins grew calmer after they heard music compositions based on their own calm, friendly calls. But the monkeys became more agitated when University of Wisconsin-Madison psychology professor Charles Snowdon played music that contained elements of their own threatening or fearful calls.
Photo: Bryce Richter
Date: 2008
High-resolution JPEG