Marmosets are highly socialized non-human primates. They exhibit abundant vocalization, but the neural basis behind complex vocal communication is largely unknown.

On July 12, 2021, Pu Muming and Wang Liping from the Institute of Neurobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences published an online report entitled "Distinct neuron populations for simple and compound calls in the primary auditory cortex of awake marmosets" in National Science Review (IF=17.27). A research paper that reports the existence of specific neuronal groups in the marmoset A1, which selectively respond to different simple or compound calls made by the same species of marmoset. These neurons are spatially dispersed within A1, but are different from those that respond to pure tones. When the single domain of the call is deleted or the domain sequence is changed, the selective response of the call is significantly reduced, indicating the importance of the global rather than the local frequency spectrum and temporal attributes of the sound. When the order of the two simple call components is reversed or the interval between them is extended by more than 1 second, the selective response to the composite call will also disappear. Mild anaesthesia largely eliminates the selective response to calling.

In summary, the results of this study demonstrate a wide range of inhibitory and facilitation interactions between call-evoked responses, and provide a basis for further research on the neural circuit mechanisms behind voice communication in awake non-human primates.