Hage, S. R. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2026

Distinct vocal flexibility encodes food identity in marmoset monkeys

Combinatorial vocal behavior, in which discrete vocal elements are recombined to expand the vocal repertoire, is a hallmark of human language and has been observed in some nonhuman primates. Here, we show that marmoset monkeys produce distinct vocalizations that discriminate food categories and items by producing long sequences dominated by a single call type whose spectral and temporal features vary. These sequences carried reliable information about food type that could be accurately predicted by trained classifiers. Moreover, rather than combining distinct call types, marmosets rely on sequencing and graded acoustic variation within a single call class to generate functionally diverse signals. These results suggest that precursors of linguistic combinatoriality and multiparameter coding are not unique to human speech but are present in nonhuman primate communication.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2022

Neural representations of the content and production of human vocalization

Speech, as the spoken form of language, is fundamental for human communication. The phenomenon of covert inner speech implies a functional independence of speech content and motor production. However, it remains unclear how a flexible mapping between speech content and production is achieved on the neural level. To address this, we recorded magnetoencephalography (MEG) in humans performing a rule-based vocalization task. On each trial, vocalization content (one of two vowels) and production form (overt or covert) were instructed independently. Using multivariate pattern analysis, we found robust neural information about vocalization content and production, mostly originating from speech areas of the left hemisphere. Production signals dynamically transformed upon presentation of the content cue, whereas content signals remained largely stable throughout the trial. In sum, our results show dissociable neural representations of vocalization content and production in the human brain and provide new insights into the neural dynamics underlying human vocalization.

neuroscience↗