title: Colour discrimination in the black-tufted-ear marmoset (Callithrix penicillata): ecological implications.
abstract: The dietary diversity of marmosets is substantial, which may reflect differences in their colour vision. This study examined the colour discrimination ability of a gummivore/insectivore callitrichid, Callithrix penicillata, which inhabits the Brazilian cerrado (bush savanna). A series of ecologically relevant tasks, involving a behavioural paradigm of discrimination learning in semi-natural conditions and the usage of ecologically relevant stimuli, was executed. Three marmosets, 2 males and a female, behaved like human dichromats, showing an impaired performance when orange and green stimuli had to be discriminated. In contrast, 2 females resembled human trichromats, discriminating those kinds of pairs. Our data suggest that Callithrix penicillata presents a polymorphic trichromacy, with dichromatic males and dichromatic or trichromatic females.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurosciences and Behaviour and Primate Centre,University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniel M A
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Pessoa
authors.forename: Juliana F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tomaz
authors.forename: Valdir F
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Pessoa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D002144:Callithrix / Q000502:physiology*; D003116:Color; D003118:Color Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male