Takahashi presents seminar on primate vocalization

Daniel Takahashi, a researcher at the UFRN (Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte) Brain Institute, presented a study on primate vocalization compared to human vocalization using mathematical modeling to IMPA Tech students on Monday (20). The work, the result of 15 years of collaborative research, was the subject of an academic seminar organized by Professor Uéverton Souza.

Takahashi explained that both humans and marmosets naturally take turns speaking and listening during an interaction – a process known as turn-taking. “Turn-taking behavior is universal among humans and there are linguistic theories that explain it, but what about among animals?” he asked.

To investigate this question, Takahashi developed, in partnership with other researchers, a mathematical model of stochastic dynamic systems – a computer simulation that represents the functioning of different regions of the brain involved in vocal communication. The model analyzes the interactions between three main neural structures: motivation, hearing and motor control, making it possible to distinguish the role of cognitive and sensory noise.

It was observed that, as the marmosets develop, the noise in the auditory system decreases, which coincides with an improvement in the coordination of vocalizations and a reduction in the overlap between sounds. These results indicate that improved auditory perception, rather than changes in motivation, is the main factor leading to the emergence of vocal shift alternation in these primates.

The presentation aroused the students’ interest. “It’s surprising to realize how much mathematics can connect with other areas and contribute to science, especially neuroscience. I believe that the future is in the hands of interdisciplinarity,” said student Micaela Magalhães.

Student André Oliveira also highlighted the multidisciplinary nature of the topic: “The research involved biology and neuroscience, while also including mathematical modeling and data analysis. Interdisciplinarity arises naturally in real problems and is therefore essential for science.”

The academic seminars organized by IMPA Tech professor Uéverton Souza aim to bring researchers from different fields closer to undergraduate students. In this edition, the guest was nominated by Professor Cilene Rodrigues, Takahashi’s collaborator in interdisciplinary research.

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