Humans aren’t the only ones who speak foreign languages. In fact, even animals try to imitate the cries of other species, and they do it above all to be accepted. In particular, they imitate the timbre of vocalizations when they enter territories of other species, and in this way reduce the risk of conflicts. In practice, they make sure they are not taken for foreigners. In fact, they use the accent, to be understood and to introduce themselves calmly. A group of researchers from Anglia Ruskin University (UK) has tested this ability in tamarins, noting that those who have a smaller territory, when they have to go elsewhere, learn and use the language of their neighbors.
It is the first study that confirms the existence of a convergence in the field of communication. In particular, some family groups of bald tamarins (Saguinus bicolor) and yellow-handed tamarins (Saguinus midas). The former are endangered and their population is one of the smallest among the primates. Estimates say that it will be reduced by 80% due to anthropogenic threats, competition with cats and dogs, the voltage of the power lines.
In fact, they live just outside the outskirts of Manaus, Brazil, about 30-45 kilometers to the north, to the point that the city has adopted them as a mascot.
The yellow-handed tamarin, on the other hand, lives in a much wider area, throughout the north-east of the Amazon region, from Brazil to Venezuela, to Guyana. He has considerable linguistic flexibility, and it is he who brings it into play most often when he enters the areas of the bald tamarin. Scientists think this serves to avoid quarrels over the sharing out of resources. Changing the accent also serves to make oneself better recognized in the thick of the forest.
These animals are small in size, weigh around 500 grams, are dark in color, with a light belly, and often have shaggy beards, whiskers and hair. They eat seeds and insects. Their most interesting feature is that they have a complex behavior. They live in small groups of 4-6 individuals. The social organization is based on a dominant female, which is the only one capable of reproducing. It is therefore she who mates with all the males, who then take care of their young to leave the mother to take care of other things. It only provides for feedings. It is no coincidence that they have previously been studied for a long time for their very high level of cooperation, for altruistic behaviors but also because, instead of going to conflict, I put in place some small teasing. Communication is very sophisticated, has a grammatical structure and must be learned.
The Oedipus tamarin, a relative of theirs, was used in experiments to identify the similarities with our young, in learning the language demonstrating to be able to understand if a sentence is said in another language.
Very similar species often overlap in the same geographical spaces and evolution can therefore lead them to very similar behaviors. Some species, instead of becoming very different, converge on some traits. In this case they choose to adopt a lingua franca where they cohabit and they do so above all to avoid useless battles that would cause losses that obviously nobody wants.
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