Monkey Calls as a Model for the Neurobiological Investigation of Emotional Vocal Expression in Man

Abstract

Monkeys possess a rich repertoire of vocal utterances expressing a variety of emotional states. In the squirrel monkey, for instance, there are calls that are uttered when an animal has lost contact with its group mates, thus expressing, in anthropomorphic terms, loneliness. There are other calls uttered during the sudden occurrence of unexpected, nondangerous events attracting the attention of the vocalizer, thus corresponding to the human surprise. There are numerous agonistic call types expressing all shades from self-confident threat through defensive threat and protest to frustration, submission, and panic — to mention only a few (Winter et al. 1966). Monkey calls thus represent highly differentiated emotional indicators.