Social influence on induced food preference in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus).

In this paper, we investigate the role of sociality in changing an induced food preference in captive common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), in the particular case of interactions between animals with contrasting information. After modifying a food preference by making a preferred food unpalatable for pairs of individuals (labelled as conditioned individuals) we recorded food choice under three experimental conditions: pairs interacting (one conditioned pair with one non-conditioned pair); pairs separated (conditioned and non-conditioned pairs by themselves the day after the social condition); control (conditioned and non-conditioned pairs alone). The main results was that only the conditioned individuals modified their food choice, consuming significantly more of the spontaneously preferred food during the pairs interacting and pairs separated conditions, but not during the control condition. Copyright 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel