Talk:Pygmy marmoset/Archive 1

Archive 1

Claws

This article states that claws are a unique feature of the pygmy marmoset. I should first mention that the claws of the pygmy marmoset are secondarily adapted from the primitive nail condition of all primates, therefore, these claw-like nails are actually uniquely derived features significantly different from claws. Second, claw-like nails are not unique to just the pygmy marmoset. Claw-like nails are a unifying feature of the family Callitrichidae. This includes the tamarins (14+ species), marmosets (22+ species), and Callimico (1 species). It should also be mentioned that the genus Phaner exhibits a claw-like nail adaptation. --96.248.171.56 (talk) 00:08, 3 December 2008 (UTC)

Reworded. Rlendog (talk) 03:16, 3 December 2008 (UTC)

This article seems to have a number of uncited statements relating to care of pet marmosets. Should these be removed? Mattyjim72 (talk) 16:45, 2 July 2009 (UTC)

Trivia

About that "cultural reference"... seriously? This is needed? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.118.235.46 (talk) 22:54, 30 March 2012 (UTC)

Thanks. I've removed the section. - UtherSRG (talk) 23:04, 30 March 2012 (UTC)

Taxonomy

WolfmanSF, I am very appreciative of your edits to this article-- it's made it much better. However, in a recent edit of yours, you stated that, "Some authorities" believe the species belongs in other genera. Could you please make this more specific? I would have just added the "[Who?]" in superscript but I couldn't figure out how, so could you also please inform me of how to do so?

Thanks!

GregorMcGee (talk) 00:30, 22 July 2012 (UTC)

Thanks for your constructive contributions also. According to MSW3, McKenna and Bell (1997) recognized Cebuella as a full genus. To add the , just add {{who}}. WolfmanSF (talk) 01:09, 22 July 2012 (UTC)

Thoughts for expanding a Behavior section

The pygmy marmoset article is still a start-class piece and needs to work on putting together a cohesive, overarching behavior section. This would combine diet and social behavior, but also include reproduction and communication sections. The social behavior section has a good start, mentioning the types of groups that pygmy marmosets live in, and how groups raise children together. Much of these topics can be expanded on. The cooperative breeding system needs explication, and should discuss altruism by the non-breeding females in the group. Besides cooperation in raising the breeding female’s kin, there is no mention what happens to the offspring when they are old enough to leave the group.. Additionally, the article indicates that breeding females always give birth to twins, but there is no mention of the reasons why this happens or its ecological significance. It is also unclear whether both males are breeders in a two-male group. All of this information could be added to reproduction and social behavior sections. The current social behavior section mentions alarm calls in pygmy marmoset groups, but should also indicate what this communication is used for. A communication section can be expansive, since the article’s mentions the use of “chemical, vocal, and physical types of communication.” Finally, the social behavior section should mention how group behavior increases pygmy marmoset fitness, and what other forms of altruism (aside from alarm calls and cooperative breeding) groups display within themselves. Mentioning how groups interact with one another is also important: are they aggressive, passive, etc.? Nsavalia23 4:15, 21 September 2012 (UTC)

This all sounds reasonable, and would be a worthwhile effort, particularly in view of the number of page views the article attracts. WolfmanSF (talk) 21:59, 25 September 2012 (UTC)

I have updated the behavior section to include communication and social systems. I will continue to expand/ work on the Behavior section in the coming weeks. E.middlebrook (talk) 02:00, 10 October 2012 (UTC)

amazing picture

Amazing picture of pygmy marmoset babies

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=428659403815707&set=a.465258143489166.127227.427481527266828&type=1&theater — Preceding unsigned comment added by Skysong263 (talk • contribs) 04:01, 4 October 2012 (UTC)

Peer Review

E.middlebrook, great job on the additions to the Communication and Social Systems section! I only made a few minor grammar/ wording changes for better flow. I also bolded the first mention of "J-calls," for clarity, because it is brought up a couple times in the following paragraphs. It is interesting that Pygmy Marmosets always have twins. I wonder what the implications are for sibling rivalry and parent-offspring conflict? Perhaps you can expand on that in the future! Ihyuan (talk) 03:03, 17 October 2012 (UTC)

Hi Emily, I just want to say that you've added a lot of great and interesting information to the Pygmy marmoset. I've already learned so much! I didn't notice anything wrong with how you formatted what you added. I did change a few of your sentences to better the flow. Some of the sentences sounded awkward, and I tidied them up. For example, the sentence "Pygmy marmosets change the characteristics of their calls when their social environment is changed such as when it is paired with another individual" doesn't really need the "such as when it is paired with another individual." I added links to the word polyandry and fixed a couple typos, such as "females's." Just a few thoughts--what are the exact modifications to the structure of a call when the social environment is changed? Does their pitch get higher, or trill at a slower rate? Also, what distinguishes the novel calls after pairing from calls prior to pairing? Great work! Alexliu818 (talk) 03:42, 17 October 2012 (UTC)

I changed a sentence from “since there was an increase” to “experiments show an increase” because it was not quite clear what the sentence was referring to. I also added some hyperlinks. As the third reviewer, I feel as though the article is pretty well written and cannot fine more changes. Good job! Zhangt2413 (talk) 04:29, 17 October 2012 (UTC)

Talk:Pygmy marmoset/GA1

Talk:Pygmy marmoset/GA2

Capture

I am a student editing this article for a class I am taking. The GA reviewers wanted some information on whether or not pygmy marmosets could be kept as pets and whether they existed at zoos. I added a couple sentences on this topic, but the information I added was not from scientific papers but from Times Magazine and the Sandiego Zoo website.

Should this still be included since the reviewers asked for it? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Kzyoung (talk • contribs) 20:52, 26 September 2013 (UTC)

Editing for GA

I am part of a behavioral ecology class at Washington University in St. Louis, and as part of a group project we are aiming to make this a good article to we edited this page to bring it up to that standard. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Vpandrangi (talk • contribs) 20:56, 26 September 2013 (UTC)

Here are some responses/corrections to the GA comments that I made--Kelly You repeat the information about twins- I suspect it only needs to be discussed once. I combined the two sections on twins under the Social Systems section, which I felt was the more appropriate location. The section in blue is what I added/changed to the article. The pygmy marmoset is a non-seasonal breeder and usually gives birth to twins once or twice a year.[19] However, single births occur 16% of the time and triplet births 8% of the time. [13] The pygmy marmoset is usually monogamous though there is some variation within the species in terms of breeding systems. Polyandry also occurs as male marmosets are responsible for carrying the infants on their backs. Having a second male to carry the offspring can be beneficial as marmoset litters are often twins and decreases the cost to any particular male. The daily range of the pygmy marmoset, however, is relatively small, which decreases the rate of polyandry.[20]
Are these groups family groups? I assume so, but it's never said. Do individual marmosets stay in the same group all their life? Surely there must be some system for group switching, or they will just end up mating with siblings generation after generation. There's precious little about inter-group relations generally. I added information on what the groups included to the lead, but could not find much information on group switching or inter-group relations. About 83% of the pygmy marmoset population lives in stable troops of two to nine individuals, including a dominant male, a breeding female, and up to four successive litters of offspring. The modal size of a standard stable troop would be 6 individuals. Although most groups consist of family members, some may also include 1-2 additional adult members. [4] Members of the group communicate using a complex system including vocal, chemical, and visual signals.
"the trill for short distance communication, J-calls for intermediate distances, and long calls for long distances" Jargon. I think this section would be best rearranged so that the calls are explained when you first mention them.

I rearranged the placement of sentences in this paragraph so that the types of calls are explained before the trends or patterns are discussed. The pygmy marmoset is well known for its communication abilities including an intricate system of calls. The trill is used during feeding, foraging, and when travelling and the group is close together. The J-call is a series of fast notes repeated by the caller and is used at medium distances. Both calls are used as contact calls. The long call is used when the group is spread out over distances greater than ten meters or in response to a neighboring group.[18]The pygmy marmoset uses the trill for short distance communication, J-calls for intermediate distances, and long calls for long distances; these have respectively decreasing frequencies. It is capable of distinguishing both the type of call and the individual making the call.
"The pygmy marmoset is listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to it being widespread, common, and is not thought to be at risk of large population declines." This doesn't make sense

I reworded the sentence singled out by the reviewer in an attempt to make the meaning more understandable. The pygmy marmoset, due to its extensive population size, is not thought to be at risk of large population declines. As a result, it is listed as a species of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The species was originally listed on Appendix I by CITES due to wildlife trade but has since been downgraded to Appendix II. It is threatened by habitat loss in some areas of its range, and by the pet trade in others (i.e. Ecuador).[3]
So they're captured as pets? Is this illegal? Are they kept in zoos? (I have a feeling I may have actually seen them in zoos.)

The reviewer had some quick questions on the keeping of pygmy marmosets, so I added a little bit of information on where they could be found, or even in some cases, obtained. Interaction between humans and the pygmy marmoset is associated with a number of behavioral changes in the animal including social play and vocalization, both of which are important to communication between animals in the species. Particularly in areas of heavy tourism, pygmy marmosets have a tendency to be less noisy, less aggressive, and less playful with other individuals. They are also pushed into higher strata of the rainforest than they would normally prefer. Tourism in areas native to the pygmy marmoset is also correlated with increased capture of the animal. Due to its small size and relatively docile nature, captured pygmy marmosets are often found in exotic pet trades.[28] Capture causes even more behavioral variations, including a decrease in both the number and the sound level of vocalizations.[29] Pygmy marmosets can also be found at local zoos, where they exist in groups. [30] — Preceding unsigned comment added by Vpandrangi (talk • contribs) 20:56, 26 September 2013 (UTC)