Behaviour of marmoset monkeys in a T-maze: comparison with rats and macaque monkeys on a spatial delayed non-match to sample task.

The marmoset ( Callithrix jacchus) is a small New World monkey that is increasingly being used in a laboratory setting. A previous set of studies has provided a direct comparison between the performance of rats and macaque monkeys on a spatial delayed non-match to sample task in a T-maze (Murray et al. 1989, Experimental Brain Research 74:173-186; Markowska et al. 1989, Experimental Brain Research 74:187-201). In the current experiment we replicated these studies using the marmoset. This allowed for a comparison of the behavioural performance of the marmoset with both rats and macaque monkeys. Marmosets performed well at the task, performing better than macaques, and at a similar level to rats. A closer analysis of the data from the present experiment suggests that marmosets spontaneously alternated in the T-maze, a strategy often adopted by rats, but not by macaques in the T-maze.