Rapid Head Movements in Common Marmoset Monkeys

oleh: Swarnima Pandey, Sravanthi Simhadri, Yi Zhou

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: Elsevier 2020-02-01

Deskripsi

Summary: Gaze shifts, the directing of the eyes to an approaching predator, preferred food source, or potential mate, have universal biological significance for the survival of a species. Our knowledge of gaze behavior is based primarily on visually triggered responses, whereas head orientation triggered by auditory stimuli remains poorly characterized. Common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is a diurnal, small-bodied (∼350 g), New World monkey species, known for its rich behavioral repertoires during social interactions. We used a lightweight head tracking system to measure marmosets' reflexive head orientations toward a natural stimulus presented from behind. We found that marmoset could rotate its head at angular velocities above 1,000°/s and maintained target accuracy for a wide range of rotation amplitudes (up to 250°). This unusual, saccadic head orienting behavior offers opportunities for understanding the many biological factors that have shaped the evolution of sensorimotor controls of gaze orientation by the primate brain. : Biological Sciences; Neuroscience; Behavioral Neuroscience; Sensory Neuroscience Subject Areas: Biological Sciences, Neuroscience, Behavioral Neuroscience, Sensory Neuroscience