Original photo by Gogosvm/ iStock
Most of our pet cats and dogs know their names, but they (probably) didn’t come up with those names on their own. In fact, only one nonhuman primate is known to use names: the humble marmoset. The small, chatty monkeys have joined a highly exclusive club that also includes parrots and dolphins, as research from 2024 notes that marmosets use unique vocalizations to label one another.
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It's a factUnlike just about every other primate species, marmosets don’t always give birth to just one infant at a time. Twins are common, and triplets, though rare, have been known to occur as well.
Marmosets are highly social creatures, and their whistle-like “phee calls” are meant to inform fellow group members of their location. The study found that when marmosets who knew each other were placed in the same room with a barrier that blocked them from seeing one another, they not only engaged in chitchat but used unique vocalizations for one another — essentially, names. Conservation biologist George Wittemyer of Colorado State University, who led a similar study that found African elephants “name” each other as well, believes the list of animals who engage in this practice could continue growing. He told The New York Times, “It’s likely that animals actually have names for each other a lot more than maybe we ever conceived.”
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Marmosets are native to ______.
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Marmosets are native to South America.
A parrot named Puck knew 1,728 words.
There are talkative parrots, and then there’s Puck. The budgerigar (also known as a budgie or common parakeet) was entered into the 1995 Guinness World Records for his astonishing vocabulary, which was estimated at 1,728 words. He was observed by 21 volunteers over a six-month period to verify his abilities. In addition to mimicking, Puck also formed sentences of his own — on December 25, 1993, for instance, his owners overheard him say, “It’s Christmas. That’s what’s happening. That’s what it’s all about. I love Pucky. I love everyone.”
Michael Nordine is a writer and editor living in Denver. A native Angeleno, he has two cats and wishes he had more.
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