The study of vocal communication in non-human primates has significant implications for the understanding of human speech and consciousness. The discovery that monkey vocalizations frequently communicate specific information has provided important insights into the evolution of human language ability. This project investigates the function of the most frequent vocalization used by the Venezuelan wedge-capped capuchin monkey (Cebus olivaceus). The meanings of the vocalization will be determined by recording calls made during foraging for food and correlating the acoustic structure of the calls with the behavioral context. Analysis will focus on whether the calls inform listeners of the identity or status of the vocalizer, how the calls are related to the use of different types of food resources, and how the calls indicate social relationships. In addition to providing information about a category of call, quiet calls, that has not been extensively studied, this project will be the first long-term study of the behavior and diet of the wedge-capped capuchin to be carried out in a habitat other than riverine forest. As such, it will supply added information about the social behavior and ecology of this most adaptable and intelligent New World monkey.
