Biology subjects

Cabrera-Moreno, J.

Publications and source records attributed to Cabrera-Moreno, J..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

An Automated Wireless Seesaw System Enabling Spatial Separation of Action and Reward in Group-Housed Marmosets

Cooperation in social species is shaped by ongoing social relationships, partner choice, and group interactions, demanding experimental systems that preserve the social context in which these behaviors unfold. Here we introduce the e-Seesaw, a wireless system for automated liquid reward delivery designed to support home-enclosure experiments on reward access distribution in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) with minimal human intervention. The apparatus combines a modular peristaltic pump with a Bluetooth-controlled trigger, allowing spatial separation between the site of action and the site of reward delivery while preserving group housing. We provide detailed design files, software, and assembly instructions to support reproduction and adaptation. In a proof-of-concept deployment across seven families, animals readily engaged with the device, producing a median of ~87 trigger activations per session. Engagement was concentrated early within sessions and remained largely stable across repeated deployments, including under increased action-reward separation. These results established the e-Seesaw as a flexible and reproducible platform for automated reward-delivery experiments in animals tested within their social groups, while reducing human involvement and avoiding fixed dyadic testing.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2026

Identity-resolved vocal exchanges in multi-marmoset settings

Acoustic communication is tightly coupled to collective behaviour and social network structure in many animal societies. Yet continuous, identity-resolved recordings of multiple concurrent signalers are challenging. We evaluated a commercial acoustic camera for marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) vocal behavior across controlled bench tests and naturalistic family interactions. Spectral characterization showed the system is closest to neutral and most sensitive in 5-10 kHz, supporting reliable detection without correction in this range. Static localization accuracy was between 1-3 cm across the experimental enclosure. In simultaneous two-source tests, separation depended strongly on geometry and intensity level: very small spacing (20 cm) produced a single merged hotspot, frame-wise co-representation of multiple sources was infrequent and biased by sub-decibel level asymmetries. In natural 15-min family recordings (N=519 calls), the camera detected 96.5% of calls, among detected events, caller assignment was 97.6% correct (overall 94.2%). Ground-truth playback confirmed near-ceiling detection ([~]100%) and high assignment with two emitters ([~]98%), with reduced attribution in crowded four-emitter layouts. Together, these results indicate that acoustic imaging can deliver high detection and accurate caller attribution for typical marmoset vocalizations, with primary limitations arising from spatial crowding and small inter-source level differences. Importantly, this limitation can be mitigated in the native software by sequentially silencing suspected sound sources. The approach thus provides a practical and reliable path toward continuous, identity-resolved vocal monitoring in freely behaving primates.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2022

Callosal inputs generate side-invariant receptive fields in the barrel cortex

Barrel cortex integrates contra- and ipsilateral whiskers inputs. While contralateral inputs depend on the thalamocortical innervation, ipsilateral ones are thought to rely on callosal axons. These are more abundant in the barrel cortex region bordering with S2 and containing the row A-whiskers representation, the row lying nearest to the facial midline. Here we ask what role this callosal axonal arrangement plays in ipsilateral tactile signalling. We found that novel object exploration with ipsilateral whiskers confines c-Fos expression within the highly callosal subregion. Targeting this area with in vivo patch-clamp recordings revealed neurons with uniquely strong ipsilateral responses dependent on the corpus callosum, as assessed by tetrodotoxin silencing and by optogenetic activation of the contralateral hemisphere. Still, in this area, stimulation of contra- or ipsilateral row A-whiskers evoked an indistinguishable response in some neurons, mostly located in layers 5/6, indicating their involvement in the midline representation of the whiskers sensory space.

neuroscience↗