Discovery of Whisper-like Behavior in a Non-human Primate
In humans, whispering has evolved as a counteractive strategy against eavesdropping. Rachel Morrison, a doctoral student at The Graduate Center and Diana Reiss, a psychology professor at Hunter discovered the first evidence for whisper-like behavior in Cotton-top tamarin monkeys at the Central Park Zoo. The monkeys reduced the loudness of their calls to nearly inaudible levels when a potential threat, a supervisor associated with their medical care, entered their enclosure. This whisper-like behavior may represent a convergence in a communication strategy.