ScienceAugust 15, 2026
phee
FEE
Definition
A specific high-pitched vocalization used by marmoset monkeys, serving as a long-distance social signal.
Etymology
The word 'phee' is an onomatopoeic representation of the high-pitched, whistling call characteristic of marmosets, derived from the sound the monkeys themselves produce.
In the news
The word is mentioned in the context of recent research showing that marmoset monkeys, like elephants, may use unique vocal labels to address specific individuals in their social group.
Wild African elephants appear to call each other by individual names, after researchers who recorded hundreds of rumbling calls in Kenya found that when a recording was played back through a speaker, the elephant it was "addressed" to perked up and ans
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