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Neuronal Encoding in a High-Level Auditory Area: From Sequential Order of Elements to Grammatical Structure. J Neurosci 2019; 39:6150-6161. [PMID: 31147525 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2767-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Revised: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensitivity to the sequential structure of communication sounds is fundamental not only for language comprehension in humans but also for song recognition in songbirds. By quantifying single-unit responses, we first assessed whether the sequential order of song elements, called syllables, in conspecific songs is encoded in a secondary auditory cortex-like region of the zebra finch brain. Based on a habituation/dishabituation paradigm, we show that, after multiple repetitions of the same conspecific song, rearranging syllable order reinstated strong responses. A large proportion of neurons showed sensitivity to song context in which syllables occurred providing support for the nonlinear processing of syllable sequences. Sensitivity to the temporal order of items within a sequence should enable learning its underlying structure, an ability considered a core mechanism of the human language faculty. We show that repetitions of songs that were ordered according to a specific grammatical structure (i.e., ABAB or AABB structures; A and B denoting song syllables) led to different responses in both anesthetized and awake birds. Once responses were decreased due to song repetitions, the transition from one structure to the other could affect the firing rates and/or the spike patterns. Our results suggest that detection was based on local differences rather than encoding of the global song structure as a whole. Our study demonstrates that a high-level auditory region provides neuronal mechanisms to help discriminate stimuli that differ in their sequential structure.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Sequence processing has been proposed as a potential precursor of language syntax. As a sequencing operation, the encoding of the temporal order of items within a sequence may help in recognition of relationships between adjacent items and in learning the underlying structure. Taking advantage of the stimulus-specific adaptation phenomenon observed in a high-level auditory region of the zebra finch brain, we addressed this question at the neuronal level. Reordering elements within conspecific songs reinstated robust responses. Neurons also detected changes in the structure of artificial songs, and this detection depended on local transitions between adjacent or nonadjacent syllables. These findings establish the songbird as a model system for deciphering the mechanisms underlying sequence processing at the single-cell level.
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Isomura T, Toyoizumi T. Multi-context blind source separation by error-gated Hebbian rule. Sci Rep 2019; 9:7127. [PMID: 31073206 PMCID: PMC6509167 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43423-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals need to adjust their inferences according to the context they are in. This is required for the multi-context blind source separation (BSS) task, where an agent needs to infer hidden sources from their context-dependent mixtures. The agent is expected to invert this mixing process for all contexts. Here, we show that a neural network that implements the error-gated Hebbian rule (EGHR) with sufficiently redundant sensory inputs can successfully learn this task. After training, the network can perform the multi-context BSS without further updating synapses, by retaining memories of all experienced contexts. This demonstrates an attractive use of the EGHR for dimensionality reduction by extracting low-dimensional sources across contexts. Finally, if there is a common feature shared across contexts, the EGHR can extract it and generalize the task to even inexperienced contexts. The results highlight the utility of the EGHR as a model for perceptual adaptation in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Isomura
- Laboratory for Neural Computation and Adaptation, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
| | - Taro Toyoizumi
- Laboratory for Neural Computation and Adaptation, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
- RIKEN CBS-OMRON Collaboration Center, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
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Oller DK, Griebel U, Iyer SN, Jhang Y, Warlaumont AS, Dale R, Call J. Language Origins Viewed in Spontaneous and Interactive Vocal Rates of Human and Bonobo Infants. Front Psychol 2019; 10:729. [PMID: 31001176 PMCID: PMC6455048 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
From the first months of life, human infants produce "protophones," speech-like, non-cry sounds, presumed absent, or only minimally present in other apes. But there have been no direct quantitative comparisons to support this presumption. In addition, by 2 months, human infants show sustained face-to-face interaction using protophones, a pattern thought also absent or very limited in other apes, but again, without quantitative comparison. Such comparison should provide evidence relevant to determining foundations of language, since substantially flexible vocalization, the inclination to explore vocalization, and the ability to interact socially by means of vocalization are foundations for language. Here we quantitatively compare data on vocalization rates in three captive bonobo (Pan paniscus) mother-infant pairs with various sources of data from our laboratories on human infant vocalization. Both humans and bonobos produced distress sounds (cries/screams) and laughter. The bonobo infants also produced sounds that were neither screams nor laughs and that showed acoustic similarities to the human protophones. These protophone-like sounds confirm that bonobo infants share with humans the capacity to produce vocalizations that appear foundational for language. Still, there were dramatic differences between the species in both quantity and function of the protophone and protophone-like sounds. The bonobo protophone-like sounds were far less frequent than the human protophones, and the human protophones were far less likely to be interpreted as complaints and more likely as vocal play. Moreover, we found extensive vocal interaction between human infants and mothers, but no vocal interaction in the bonobo mother-infant pairs-while bonobo mothers were physically responsive to their infants, we observed no case of a bonobo mother vocalization directed to her infant. Our cross-species comparison focuses on low- and moderate-arousal circumstances because we reason the roots of language entail vocalization not triggered by excitement, for example, during fighting or intense play. Language appears to be founded in flexible vocalization, used to regulate comfortable social interaction, to share variable affective states at various levels of arousal, and to explore vocalization itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. Kimbrough Oller
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States
- Institute for Intelligent Systems, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States
- Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Ulrike Griebel
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States
- Institute for Intelligent Systems, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States
- Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Suneeti Nathani Iyer
- Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Yuna Jhang
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Anne S. Warlaumont
- Department of Communication, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Rick Dale
- Department of Communication, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Josep Call
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, United Kingdom
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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57
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Neuronal mechanisms regulating the critical period of sensory experience-dependent song learning. Neurosci Res 2019; 140:53-58. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2018.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2018] [Revised: 09/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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58
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Lipkind D, Geambasu A, Levelt CC. The Development of Structured Vocalizations in Songbirds and Humans: A Comparative Analysis. Top Cogn Sci 2019; 12:894-909. [PMID: 30761767 DOI: 10.1111/tops.12414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Revised: 12/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Humans and songbirds face a common challenge: acquiring the complex vocal repertoire of their social group. Although humans are thought to be unique in their ability to convey symbolic meaning through speech, speech and birdsong are comparable in their acoustic complexity and the mastery with which the vocalizations of adults are acquired by young individuals. In this review, we focus on recent advances in the study of vocal development in humans and songbirds that shed new light on the emergence of distinct structural levels of vocal behavior and point to new possible parallels between both groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina Lipkind
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, The City University of New York.,Department of Biology, York College, The City University of New York
| | - Andreea Geambasu
- Centre for Linguistics, Leiden University.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University
| | - Clara C Levelt
- Centre for Linguistics, Leiden University.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University
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Maheu M, Dehaene S, Meyniel F. Brain signatures of a multiscale process of sequence learning in humans. eLife 2019; 8:41541. [PMID: 30714904 PMCID: PMC6361584 DOI: 10.7554/elife.41541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Extracting the temporal structure of sequences of events is crucial for perception, decision-making, and language processing. Here, we investigate the mechanisms by which the brain acquires knowledge of sequences and the possibility that successive brain responses reflect the progressive extraction of sequence statistics at different timescales. We measured brain activity using magnetoencephalography in humans exposed to auditory sequences with various statistical regularities, and we modeled this activity as theoretical surprise levels using several learning models. Successive brain waves related to different types of statistical inferences. Early post-stimulus brain waves denoted a sensitivity to a simple statistic, the frequency of items estimated over a long timescale (habituation). Mid-latency and late brain waves conformed qualitatively and quantitatively to the computational properties of a more complex inference: the learning of recent transition probabilities. Our findings thus support the existence of multiple computational systems for sequence processing involving statistical inferences at multiple scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Maheu
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, CEA DRF/JOLIOT, INSERM, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin center, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.,Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Stanislas Dehaene
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, CEA DRF/JOLIOT, INSERM, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin center, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.,Collège de France, Paris, France
| | - Florent Meyniel
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, CEA DRF/JOLIOT, INSERM, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin center, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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60
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Desjonquères C, Maliszewski J, Lewandowski EN, Speck B, Rodríguez RL. Social ontogeny in the communication system of an insect. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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61
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Ravignani
- Artificial Intelligence Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- Research Department, Sealcentre Pieterburen, Pieterburen, The Netherlands
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62
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Badwal A, Poertner J, Samlan RA, Miller JE. Common Terminology and Acoustic Measures for Human Voice and Birdsong. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2019; 62:60-69. [PMID: 30540871 DOI: 10.1044/2018_jslhr-s-18-0218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Purpose The zebra finch is used as a model to study the neural circuitry of auditory-guided human vocal production. The terminology of birdsong production and acoustic analysis, however, differs from human voice production, making it difficult for voice researchers of either species to navigate the literature from the other. The purpose of this research note is to identify common terminology and measures to better compare information across species. Method Terminology used in the birdsong literature will be mapped onto terminology used in the human voice production literature. Measures typically used to quantify the percepts of pitch, loudness, and quality will be described. Measures common to the literature in both species will be made from the songs of 3 middle-age birds using Praat and Song Analysis Pro. Two measures, cepstral peak prominence (CPP) and Wiener entropy (WE), will be compared to determine if they provide similar information. Results Similarities and differences in terminology and acoustic analyses are presented. A core set of measures including frequency, frequency variability within a syllable, intensity, CPP, and WE are proposed for future studies. CPP and WE are related yet provide unique information about the syllable structure. Conclusions Using a core set of measures familiar to both human voice and birdsong researchers, along with both CPP and WE, will allow characterization of similarities and differences among birds. Standard terminology and measures will improve accessibility of the birdsong literature to human voice researchers and vice versa. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.7438964.
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Affiliation(s)
- Areen Badwal
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson
| | - JoHanna Poertner
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson
| | - Robin A Samlan
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson
| | - Julie E Miller
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson
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64
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Wermke K, Quast A, Hesse V. From melody to words: The role of sex hormones in early language development. Horm Behav 2018; 104:206-215. [PMID: 29573996 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2018] [Revised: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Contribution to Special Issue on Fast effects of steroids. Human infants are the most proficient of the few vocal learner species. Sharing similar principles in terms of the generation and modification of complex sounds, cross-vocal learner comparisons are a suitable strategy when it comes to better understanding the evolution and mechanisms of auditory-vocal learning in human infants. This approach will also help us to understand sex differences in relation to vocal development towards language, the underlying brain mechanisms thereof and sex-specific hormonal effects. Although we are still far from being capable of discovering the "fast effects of steroids" in human infants, we have identified that peripheral hormones (blood serum) are important regulators of vocal behaviour towards language during a transitory hormone surge ("mini-puberty") that is comparable in its extent to puberty. This new area of research in human infants provides a promising opportunity to not only better understand early language acquisition from an ontogenetic and phylogenetic perspective, but to also identify reliable clinical risk-markers in infants for the development of later language disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Wermke
- Center for Prespeech Development & Developmental Disorders, Department of Orthodontics University Hospital of Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Anja Quast
- Center for Prespeech Development & Developmental Disorders, Department of Orthodontics University Hospital of Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany; Department of Orthodontics, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37075 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Volker Hesse
- Institute for Experimental Paediatric Endocrinology, Charité-University-Medicine Berlin, 13533 Berlin, Germany
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65
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Alward BA, Cornil CA, Balthazart J, Ball GF. The regulation of birdsong by testosterone: Multiple time-scales and multiple sites of action. Horm Behav 2018; 104:32-40. [PMID: 29679614 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Revised: 03/31/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Contribution to Special Issue on Fast effects of steroids. Sex steroid hormones act during early development to shape the circuitry upon which these same hormones act in adulthood to control behavioral responses to various stimuli. The "organizational" vs. "activational" distinction was proposed to explain this temporal difference in hormone action. In both of these cases steroids were thought to act genomically over a time-scale of days to weeks. However, sex steroids can affect behavior over short (e.g., seconds or minutes) time-scales. Here, we discuss how testosterone controls birdsong via actions at different sites and over different time-scales, with an emphasis on this process in canaries (Serinus canaria). Our work shows that testosterone in the medial preoptic nucleus regulates the motivation to sing, but not aspects of song performance. Instead, different aspects of song performance are regulated by long-term actions of testosterone in steroid-sensitive cortical-like brain regions and the syrinx, the avian vocal production organ. On the other hand, acute aromatase inhibition rapidly reduces the availability of estrogens and this reduction is correlated with reductions in the motivation to sing and song performance. Thus, testosterone and its estrogenic metabolites regulate distinct features of birdsong depending on the site and temporal window of action. The number of brain areas expressing androgen receptors is higher in species producing learned vocalization as compared to species that produce unlearned calls. An appealing scenario is that rapid effects of steroids in specific brain regions is a derived trait secondary to the widespread genomic effects of steroids in systems where steroids coordinate morphological, physiological, and behavioral traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beau A Alward
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States; Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94023, United States.
| | | | | | - Gregory F Ball
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States
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66
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Vahaba DM, Remage-Healey L. Neuroestrogens rapidly shape auditory circuits to support communication learning and perception: Evidence from songbirds. Horm Behav 2018; 104:77-87. [PMID: 29555375 PMCID: PMC7025793 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Revised: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Contribution to Special Issue on Fast effects of steroids. Steroid hormones, such as estrogens, were once thought to be exclusively synthesized in the ovaries and enact transcriptional changes over the course of hours to days. However, estrogens are also locally synthesized within neural circuits, wherein they rapidly (within minutes) modulate a range of behaviors, including spatial cognition and communication. Here, we review the role of brain-derived estrogens (neuroestrogens) as modulators within sensory circuits in songbirds. We first present songbirds as an attractive model to explore how neuroestrogens in auditory cortex modulate vocal communication processing and learning. Further, we examine how estrogens may enhance vocal learning and auditory memory consolidation in sensory cortex via mechanisms similar to those found in the hippocampus of rodents and birds. Finally, we propose future directions for investigation, including: 1) the extent of developmental and hemispheric shifts in aromatase and membrane estrogen receptor expression in auditory circuits; 2) how neuroestrogens may impact inhibitory interneurons to regulate audition and critical period plasticity; and, 3) dendritic spine plasticity as a candidate mechanism mediating estrogen-dependent effects on vocal learning. Together, this perspective of estrogens as neuromodulators in the vertebrate brain has opened new avenues in understanding sensory plasticity, including how hormones can act on communication circuits to influence behaviors in other vocal learning species, such as in language acquisition and speech processing in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel M Vahaba
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, United States
| | - Luke Remage-Healey
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, United States.
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Ravignani A, Kello CT, de Reus K, Kotz SA, Dalla Bella S, Méndez-Aróstegui M, Rapado-Tamarit B, Rubio-Garcia A, de Boer B. Ontogeny of vocal rhythms in harbor seal pups: an exploratory study. Curr Zool 2018; 65:107-120. [PMID: 30697246 PMCID: PMC6347067 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Puppyhood is a very active social and vocal period in a harbor seal’s life Phoca vitulina. An important feature of vocalizations is their temporal and rhythmic structure, and understanding vocal timing and rhythms in harbor seals is critical to a cross-species hypothesis in evolutionary neuroscience that links vocal learning, rhythm perception, and synchronization. This study utilized analytical techniques that may best capture rhythmic structure in pup vocalizations with the goal of examining whether (1) harbor seal pups show rhythmic structure in their calls and (2) rhythms evolve over time. Calls of 3 wild-born seal pups were recorded daily over the course of 1–3 weeks; 3 temporal features were analyzed using 3 complementary techniques. We identified temporal and rhythmic structure in pup calls across different time windows. The calls of harbor seal pups exhibit some degree of temporal and rhythmic organization, which evolves over puppyhood and resembles that of other species’ interactive communication. We suggest next steps for investigating call structure in harbor seal pups and propose comparative hypotheses to test in other pinniped species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Ravignani
- Research Department, Sealcentre Pieterburen, Pieterburen, The Netherlands.,Artificial Intelligence Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Christopher T Kello
- Cognitive and Information Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Koen de Reus
- Research Department, Sealcentre Pieterburen, Pieterburen, The Netherlands
| | - Sonja A Kotz
- Basic and Applied NeuroDynamics Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Neuropsychology & Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Neuropsychology, Max-Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Simone Dalla Bella
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montréal, QC, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Department of Cognitive Psychology, WSFiZ in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | | | - Ana Rubio-Garcia
- Research Department, Sealcentre Pieterburen, Pieterburen, The Netherlands
| | - Bart de Boer
- Artificial Intelligence Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
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Lattenkamp EZ, Vernes SC. Vocal learning: a language-relevant trait in need of a broad cross-species approach. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2018.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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69
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Arbilly M, Lotem A. Constructive anthropomorphism: a functional evolutionary approach to the study of human-like cognitive mechanisms in animals. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.1616. [PMID: 29070723 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropomorphism, the attribution of human cognitive processes and emotional states to animals, is commonly viewed as non-scientific and potentially misleading. This is mainly because apparent similarity to humans can usually be explained by alternative, simpler mechanisms in animals, and because there is no explanatory power in analogies to human phenomena when these phenomena are not well understood. Yet, because it is also difficult to preclude real similarity and continuity in the evolution of humans' and animals' cognitive abilities, it may not be productive to completely ignore our understanding of human behaviour when thinking about animals. Here we propose that in applying a functional approach to the evolution of cognitive mechanisms, human cognition may be used to broaden our theoretical thinking and to generate testable hypotheses. Our goal is not to 'elevate' animals, but rather to find the minimal set of mechanistic principles that may explain 'advanced' cognitive abilities in humans, and consider under what conditions these mechanisms were likely to enhance fitness and to evolve in animals. We illustrate this approach, from relatively simple emotional states, to more advanced mechanisms, involved in planning and decision-making, episodic memory, metacognition, theory of mind, and consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Arbilly
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30022, USA
| | - Arnon Lotem
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 68878, Israel
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70
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Baran NM, Peck SC, Kim TH, Goldstein MH, Adkins-Regan E. Early life manipulations of vasopressin-family peptides alter vocal learning. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.1114. [PMID: 28724738 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 06/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Vocal learning from social partners is crucial for the successful development of communication in a wide range of species. Social interactions organize attention and enhance motivation to learn species-typical behaviour. However, the neurobiological mechanisms connecting social motivation and vocal learning are unknown. Using zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), a ubiquitous model for vocal learning, we show that manipulations of nonapeptide hormones in the vasopressin family (arginine vasotocin, AVT) early in development can promote or disrupt both song and social motivation. Young male zebra finches, like human infants, are socially gregarious and require interactive feedback from adult tutors to learn mature vocal forms. To investigate the role of social motivational mechanisms in song learning, in two studies, we injected hatchling males with AVT or Manning compound (MC, a nonapeptide receptor antagonist) on days 2-8 post-hatching and recorded song at maturity. In both studies, MC males produced a worse match to tutor song than controls. In study 2, which experimentally controlled for tutor and genetic factors, AVT males also learned song significantly better compared with controls. Furthermore, song similarity correlated with several measures of social motivation throughout development. These findings provide the first evidence that nonapeptides are critical to the development of vocal learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Baran
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA .,School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Samantha C Peck
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Tabitha H Kim
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth Adkins-Regan
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.,Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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71
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Tchernichovski O, Lipkind D. Animal Communication: Origins of Sequential Structure in Birdsong. Curr Biol 2017; 27:R1268-R1269. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.10.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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72
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James LS, Sakata JT. Learning Biases Underlie "Universals" in Avian Vocal Sequencing. Curr Biol 2017; 27:3676-3682.e4. [PMID: 29174890 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 10/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Biological predispositions in vocal learning have been proposed to underlie commonalities in vocal sequences, including for speech and birdsong, but cultural propagation could also account for such commonalities [1-4]. Songbirds such as the zebra finch learn the sequencing of their acoustic elements ("syllables") during development [5-8]. Zebra finches are not constrained to learn a specific sequence of syllables, but significant consistencies in the positioning and sequencing of syllables have been observed between individuals within populations and between populations [8-10]. To reveal biological predispositions in vocal sequence learning, we individually tutored juvenile zebra finches with randomized and unbiased sequences of syllables and analyzed the extent to which birds produced common sequences. In support of biological predispositions, birds tutored with randomized sequences produced songs with striking similarities. Birds preferentially started and ended their song sequence with particular syllables, consistently positioned shorter and higher frequency syllables in the middle of their song, and sequenced their syllables such that pitch alternated across adjacent syllables. These patterns are reminiscent of those observed in normally tutored birds, suggesting that birds "creolize" aberrant sequence inputs to produce normal sequence outputs. Similar patterns were also observed for syllables that were not used for tutoring (i.e., unlearned syllables), suggesting that motor biases could contribute to sequence learning biases. Furthermore, zebra finches spontaneously produced acoustic patterns that are commonly observed in speech and music, suggesting that sensorimotor processes that are shared across a wide range of vertebrates could underlie these patterns in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan S James
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada.
| | - Jon T Sakata
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada; Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 2A8, Canada.
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73
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Lipkind D, Zai AT, Hanuschkin A, Marcus GF, Tchernichovski O, Hahnloser RHR. Songbirds work around computational complexity by learning song vocabulary independently of sequence. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1247. [PMID: 29089517 PMCID: PMC5663719 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01436-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
While acquiring motor skills, animals transform their plastic motor sequences to match desired targets. However, because both the structure and temporal position of individual gestures are adjustable, the number of possible motor transformations increases exponentially with sequence length. Identifying the optimal transformation towards a given target is therefore a computationally intractable problem. Here we show an evolutionary workaround for reducing the computational complexity of song learning in zebra finches. We prompt juveniles to modify syllable phonology and sequence in a learned song to match a newly introduced target song. Surprisingly, juveniles match each syllable to the most spectrally similar sound in the target, regardless of its temporal position, resulting in unnecessary sequence errors, that they later try to correct. Thus, zebra finches prioritize efficient learning of syllable vocabulary, at the cost of inefficient syntax learning. This strategy provides a non-optimal but computationally manageable solution to the task of vocal sequence learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina Lipkind
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
| | - Anja T Zai
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich (ZNZ), Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Hanuschkin
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich (ZNZ), Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - Gary F Marcus
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
- Geometric Intelligence, New York, NY, 10013, USA
| | - Ofer Tchernichovski
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Richard H R Hahnloser
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland.
- Neuroscience Center Zurich (ZNZ), Zurich, 8057, Switzerland.
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74
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Neuronal Intrinsic Physiology Changes During Development of a Learned Behavior. eNeuro 2017; 4:eN-NWR-0297-17. [PMID: 29062887 PMCID: PMC5649544 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0297-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Juvenile male zebra finches learn their songs over distinct auditory and sensorimotor stages, the former requiring exposure to an adult tutor song pattern. The cortical premotor nucleus HVC (acronym is name) plays a necessary role in both learning stages, as well as the production of adult song. Consistent with neural network models where synaptic plasticity mediates developmental forms of learning, exposure to tutor song drives changes in the turnover, density, and morphology of HVC synapses during vocal development. A network's output, however, is also influenced by the intrinsic properties (e.g., ion channels) of the component neurons, which could change over development. Here, we use patch clamp recordings to show cell-type-specific changes in the intrinsic physiology of HVC projection neurons as a function of vocal development. Developmental changes in HVC neurons that project to the basal ganglia include an increased voltage sag response to hyperpolarizing currents and an increased rebound depolarization following hyperpolarization. Developmental changes in HVC neurons that project to vocal-motor cortex include a decreased resting membrane potential and an increased spike amplitude. HVC interneurons, however, show a relatively stable range of intrinsic features across vocal development. We used mathematical models to deduce possible changes in ionic currents that underlie the physiological changes and to show that the magnitude of the observed changes could alter HVC circuit function. The results demonstrate developmental plasticity in the intrinsic physiology of HVC projection neurons and suggest that intrinsic plasticity may have a role in the process of song learning.
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75
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Prat Y, Taub M, Pratt E, Yovel Y. An annotated dataset of Egyptian fruit bat vocalizations across varying contexts and during vocal ontogeny. Sci Data 2017; 4:170143. [PMID: 28972574 PMCID: PMC5625625 DOI: 10.1038/sdata.2017.143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal acoustic communication research depends on our ability to record the vocal behaviour of different species. Only rarely do we have the opportunity to continuously follow the vocal behaviour of a group of individuals of the same species for a long period of time. Here, we provide a database of Egyptian fruit bat vocalizations, which were continuously recorded in the lab in several groups simultaneously for more than a year. The dataset includes almost 300,000 files, a few seconds each, containing social vocalizations and representing the complete vocal repertoire used by the bats in the experiment period. Around 90,000 files are annotated with details about the individuals involved in the vocal interactions, their behaviours and the context. Moreover, the data include the complete vocal ontogeny of pups, from birth to adulthood, in different conditions (e.g., isolated or in a group). We hope that this comprehensive database will stimulate studies that will enhance our understanding of bat, and mammal, social vocal communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosef Prat
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Mor Taub
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ester Pratt
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yossi Yovel
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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76
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Scheumann M, Linn S, Zimmermann E. Vocal greeting during mother-infant reunions in a nocturnal primate, the gray mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus). Sci Rep 2017; 7:10321. [PMID: 28871099 PMCID: PMC5583258 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10417-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In human societies, ritualized greeting behavior includes gestural and vocal displays to signal the social acceptance of an encountering person. These displays are universal across cultures suggesting a pre-human origin. Vocal greeting displays are only reported for monkeys and apes with complex social systems, but none of these studies confirmed that greeting signals fulfill all criteria characterizing human greeting behavior. In this study, we analyzed for the first time whether vocal exchanges between mother and infants in a non-human primate fulfill the criteria of human greeting behavior and whether vocal greeting behavior is present in a basal primate with a less complex social system, the gray mouse lemur. By comparing spontaneous leave-takings and reunions, we found that vocal exchanges during mother-infant reunions fulfilled all six criteria characterizing human greeting behavior. Thus, predictable reciprocal vocal exchanges occurred at the start of the reunion (but not during leave-taking), when mother and infant had visual contact to each other. Thus, we argued that mother-infant vocal exchanges governing reunions are essential to establish social bonds and to ritualize the greeting function. Our findings suggest that ritualized vocal greeting has its origins deeply rooted in mammalian phylogeny and derives from vocal exchanges during parent-infant reunions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Scheumann
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, Hannover, D-30559, Germany.
| | - Sabrina Linn
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, Hannover, D-30559, Germany
| | - Elke Zimmermann
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, Hannover, D-30559, Germany
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77
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Lentiviral-Mediated Transgenesis in Songbirds. Methods Mol Biol 2017. [PMID: 28809019 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7216-6_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
Transgenesis involves the insertion of an exogenous gene into an animal's genome, which allows the identification of the expressed phenotypes in brain function or behavior. Lentiviral-mediated transgenesis offers unique transduction potency making it possible to deliver and stably integrate transgenes into a wide variety of dividing and nondividing cells. The ability to establish long-term expression of such transgenes allows their use for transgenesis which is especially useful in organisms lacking quality pluripotent stem cell lines and which is otherwise difficult to produce via traditional pronuclear microinjection, such as songbirds. Here we describe a protocol to generate the transgenic songbird, the zebra finch, by producing and inserting lentiviral-mediated transgene into the blastoderm of freshly laid eggs. This protocol includes procedures for production of lentiviral vectors, injection of a virus into zebra finch embryos, and postinjection care. The implementation of the songbird transgenic approach provides a leap toward basic and translational neuroscience that uses an animal model for speech and language and their pathologies. Additionally, the highly quantifiable song behavior, combined with a well-characterized song circuitry, offers an exciting opportunity to develop therapeutic strategies for neurological disorders.
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78
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Dissociable Effects on Birdsong of Androgen Signaling in Cortex-Like Brain Regions of Canaries. J Neurosci 2017; 37:8612-8624. [PMID: 28821656 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3371-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Revised: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural basis of how learned vocalizations change during development and in adulthood represents a major challenge facing cognitive neuroscience. This plasticity in the degree to which learned vocalizations can change in both humans and songbirds is linked to the actions of sex steroid hormones during ontogeny but also in adulthood in the context of seasonal changes in birdsong. We investigated the role of steroid hormone signaling in the brain on distinct features of birdsong using adult male canaries (Serinus canaria), which show extensive seasonal vocal plasticity as adults. Specifically, we bilaterally implanted the potent androgen receptor antagonist flutamide in two key brain regions that control birdsong. We show that androgen signaling in the motor cortical-like brain region, the robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA), controls syllable and trill bandwidth stereotypy, while not significantly affecting higher order features of song such syllable-type usage (i.e., how many times each syllable type is used) or syllable sequences. In contrast, androgen signaling in the premotor cortical-like brain region, HVC (proper name), controls song variability by increasing the variability of syllable-type usage and syllable sequences, while having no effect on syllable or trill bandwidth stereotypy. Other aspects of song, such as the duration of trills and the number of syllables per song, were also differentially affected by androgen signaling in HVC versus RA. These results implicate androgens in regulating distinct features of complex motor output in a precise and nonredundant manner.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Vocal plasticity is linked to the actions of sex steroid hormones, but the precise mechanisms are unclear. We investigated this question in adult male canaries (Serinus canaria), which show extensive vocal plasticity throughout their life. We show that androgens in two cortex-like vocal control brain regions regulate distinct aspects of vocal plasticity. For example, in HVC (proper name), androgens regulate variability in syntax but not phonology, whereas androgens in the robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA) regulate variability in phonology but not syntax. Temporal aspects of song were also differentially affected by androgen signaling in HVC versus RA. Thus, androgen signaling may reduce vocal plasticity by acting in a nonredundant and precise manner in the brain.
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79
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Baran NM. Sensitive Periods, Vasotocin-Family Peptides, and the Evolution and Development of Social Behavior. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2017; 8:189. [PMID: 28824549 PMCID: PMC5539493 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2017.00189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Nonapeptides, by modulating the activity of neural circuits in specific social contexts, provide an important mechanism underlying the evolution of diverse behavioral phenotypes across vertebrate taxa. Vasotocin-family nonapeptides, in particular, have been found to be involved in behavioral plasticity and diversity in social behavior, including seasonal variation, sexual dimorphism, and species differences. Although nonapeptides have been the focus of a great deal of research over the last several decades, the vast majority of this work has focused on adults. However, behavioral diversity may also be explained by the ways in which these peptides shape neural circuits and influence social processes during development. In this review, I synthesize comparative work on vasotocin-family peptides during development and classic work on early forms of social learning in developmental psychobiology. I also summarize recent work demonstrating that early life manipulations of the nonapeptide system alter attachment, affiliation, and vocal learning in zebra finches. I thus hypothesize that vasotocin-family peptides are involved in the evolution of social behaviors through their influence on learning during sensitive periods in social development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M. Baran
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States
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80
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Vocal Learning via Social Reinforcement by Infant Marmoset Monkeys. Curr Biol 2017; 27:1844-1852.e6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2017] [Revised: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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81
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Elliott KC, Wu W, Bertram R, Hyson RL, Johnson F. Orthogonal topography in the parallel input architecture of songbird HVC. J Comp Neurol 2017; 525:2133-2151. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Revised: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin C. Elliott
- Program in Neuroscience and Department of PsychologyFlorida State UniversityTallahassee Florida
| | - Wei Wu
- Program in Neuroscience and Department of StatisticsFlorida State UniversityTallahassee Florida
| | - Richard Bertram
- Program in Neuroscience and Department of MathematicsFlorida State UniversityTallahassee Florida
| | - Richard L. Hyson
- Program in Neuroscience and Department of PsychologyFlorida State UniversityTallahassee Florida
| | - Frank Johnson
- Program in Neuroscience and Department of PsychologyFlorida State UniversityTallahassee Florida
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82
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Tachibana RO, Takahasi M, Hessler NA, Okanoya K. Maturation-dependent control of vocal temporal plasticity in a songbird. Dev Neurobiol 2017; 77:995-1006. [PMID: 28188699 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2016] [Revised: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Birdsong is a unique model to address learning mechanisms of the timing control of sequential behaviors, with characteristic temporal structures consisting of serial sequences of brief vocal elements (syllables) and silent intervals (gaps). Understanding the neural mechanisms for plasticity of such sequential behavior should be aided by characterization of its developmental changes. Here, we assessed the level of acute vocal plasticity between young and adult Bengalese finches, and also quantified developmental change in variability of temporal structure. Acute plasticity was tested by delivering aversive noise bursts contingent on duration of a target gap, such that birds could avoid the noise by modifying their song. We found that temporal variability of song features decreased with birds' maturation. Noise-avoidance experiments demonstrated that maximal changes of gap durations were larger in young that in adult birds. After these young birds matured, the maximal change decreased to a similar level as adults. The variability of these target gaps also decreased as the birds matured. Such parallel changes suggest that the level of acute temporal plasticity could be predicted from ongoing temporal variability. Further, we found that young birds gradually began to stop their song at the target gap and restart from the introductory part of song, whereas adults did not. According to a synaptic chain model for timing sequence generation in premotor nuclei, adult learning would be interpreted as adaptive changes in conduction delays between chain-to-chain connections, whereas the learning of young birds could mainly depend on changes of the connections. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 77: 995-1006, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryosuke O Tachibana
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Miki Takahasi
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Neal A Hessler
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuo Okanoya
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Cognition and Behavior Joint Laboratory, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Saitama, Japan
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83
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Teramoto Y, Takahashi DY, Holmes P, Ghazanfar AA. Vocal development in a Waddington landscape. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28092262 PMCID: PMC5310845 DOI: 10.7554/elife.20782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 01/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Vocal development is the adaptive coordination of the vocal apparatus, muscles, the nervous system, and social interaction. Here, we use a quantitative framework based on optimal control theory and Waddington’s landscape metaphor to provide an integrated view of this process. With a biomechanical model of the marmoset monkey vocal apparatus and behavioral developmental data, we show that only the combination of the developing vocal tract, vocal apparatus muscles and nervous system can fully account for the patterns of vocal development. Together, these elements influence the shape of the monkeys’ vocal developmental landscape, tilting, rotating or shifting it in different ways. We can thus use this framework to make quantitative predictions regarding how interfering factors or experimental perturbations can change the landscape within a species, or to explain comparative differences in vocal development across species DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.20782.001 As infants develop they learn new behaviors and refine existing ones. For example, human infants progress from crying to babbling to producing speech-like sounds. A complex sequence of changes in muscles, the nervous system and in patterns of interactions with other individuals all contribute to these emerging behaviors. Despite this complexity, most studies of vocal development have only considered single factors in isolation. A study of speech development, for example, might examine how changes in the brain enable infants to imitate sounds. However, that same study will probably ignore how changes in the structure of the vocal cords, or in the behavior of the parents, also promote imitation. Young marmoset monkeys, like human infants, gradually develop from producing immature cries to adult-like calls. Teramoto, Takahashi et al. built a computational model of this process and compared the model to data from real animals. The first version of the model focused solely on how the marmosets’ vocal cords grow, and did not fully reproduce how adult-like calls emerge in real marmosets. Teramoto, Takahashi et al. therefore added factors to the model that simulate improvements in muscle control, learning in the nervous system and in the behavior of other animals. These findings show that, to reflect how adult-like calls emerge in real marmosets, the model needs to include all of these factors. The model developed by Teramoto, Takahashi et al. may also provide insights into why vocal learning and some other behaviors emerge in some species and not others. It may also be used to predict the consequences of disrupting individual processes in young animals at particular points in time and how such disruptions shape the way an animal develops on its way to adulthood. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.20782.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Yayoi Teramoto
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
| | - Daniel Y Takahashi
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, United States.,Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
| | - Philip Holmes
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, United States.,Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Program in Applied and Computational Mathematics, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
| | - Asif A Ghazanfar
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, United States.,Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, United States.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
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84
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Moore RK, Marxer R, Thill S. Vocal Interactivity in-and-between Humans, Animals, and Robots. Front Robot AI 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2016.00061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
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85
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Lu C. It's a Hot World Out There. Cell 2016; 166:1341-1343. [PMID: 27610555 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.08.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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86
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Sasahara K, Tchernichovski O, Takahasi M, Suzuki K, Okanoya K. A rhythm landscape approach to the developmental dynamics of birdsong. J R Soc Interface 2016; 12:rsif.2015.0802. [PMID: 26538559 PMCID: PMC4685852 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2015.0802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Unlike simple biological rhythms, the rhythm of the oscine bird song is a learned time series of diverse sounds that change dynamically during vocal ontogeny. How to quantify rhythm development is one of the most important challenges in behavioural biology. Here, we propose a simple method, called ‘rhythm landscape’, to visualize and quantify how rhythm structure, which is measured as durational patterns of sounds and silences, emerges and changes over development. Applying this method to the development of Bengalese finch songs, we show that the rhythm structure begins with a broadband rhythm that develops into diverse rhythms largely through branching from precursors. Furthermore, an information-theoretic measure, the Jensen–Shannon divergence, was used to characterize the crystallization process of birdsong rhythm, which started with a high rate of rhythm change and progressed to a stage of slow refinement. This simple method provides a useful description of rhythm development, thereby helping to reveal key temporal constraints on complex biological rhythms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazutoshi Sasahara
- Department of Complex Systems Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan Laboratory for Biolinguistics, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Ofer Tchernichovski
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Miki Takahasi
- Laboratory for Biolinguistics, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Kenta Suzuki
- Laboratory for Biolinguistics, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan Faculty of Health Sciences, Nihon Institute of Medical Science, 1276 Shimogawara, Moroyama-machi, Iruma-gun, Saitama 350-0435, Japan
| | - Kazuo Okanoya
- Laboratory for Biolinguistics, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan Department of Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
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87
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Janney E, Taylor H, Scharff C, Rothenberg D, Parra LC, Tchernichovski O. Temporal regularity increases with repertoire complexity in the Australian pied butcherbird's song. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:160357. [PMID: 27703699 PMCID: PMC5043318 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Music maintains a characteristic balance between repetition and novelty. Here, we report a similar balance in singing performances of free-living Australian pied butcherbirds. Their songs include many phrase types. The more phrase types in a bird's repertoire, the more diverse the singing performance can be. However, without sufficient temporal organization, avian listeners may find diverse singing performances difficult to perceive and memorize. We tested for a correlation between the complexity of song repertoire and the temporal regularity of singing performance. We found that different phrase types often share motifs (notes or stereotyped groups of notes). These shared motifs reappeared in strikingly regular temporal intervals across different phrase types, over hundreds of phrases produced without interruption by each bird. We developed a statistical estimate to quantify the degree to which phrase transition structure is optimized for maximizing the regularity of shared motifs. We found that transition probabilities between phrase types tend to maximize regularity in the repetition of shared motifs, but only in birds of high repertoire complexity. Conversely, in birds of low repertoire complexity, shared motifs were produced with less regularity. The strong correlation between repertoire complexity and motif regularity suggests that birds possess a mechanism that regulates the temporal placement of shared motifs in a manner that takes repertoire complexity into account. We discuss alternative musical, mechanistic and ecological explanations to this effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eathan Janney
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, CUNY, New York, NY, USA
- Author for correspondence: Eathan Janney e-mail:
| | | | | | - David Rothenberg
- Department of Humanities, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Lucas C. Parra
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City College of New York, CUNY, New York, NY, USA
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88
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Alward BA, de Bournonville C, Chan TT, Balthazart J, Cornil CA, Ball GF. Aromatase inhibition rapidly affects in a reversible manner distinct features of birdsong. Sci Rep 2016; 6:32344. [PMID: 27573712 PMCID: PMC5004099 DOI: 10.1038/srep32344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent evidence has implicated steroid hormones, specifically estrogens, in the rapid modulation of cognitive processes. Songbirds have been a useful model system in the study of complex cognitive processes including birdsong, a naturally learned vocal behavior regulated by a discrete steroid-sensitive telencephalic circuitry. Singing behavior is known to be regulated by long-term actions of estrogens but rapid steroid modulation of this behavior has never been examined. We investigated if acute actions of estrogens regulate birdsong in canaries (Serinus canaria). In the morning, male canaries sing within minutes after light onset. Birds were injected with fadrozole, a potent aromatase inhibitor, or vehicle within 2–5 minutes after lights on to implement a within-subjects experimental design. This single injection of fadrozole reduced the motivation to sing as well as song acoustic stereotypy, a measure of consistency over song renditions, on the same day. By the next day, however, all song measures that were affected had returned to baseline. This study indicates that estrogens also act in a rapid fashion to regulate two distinct features of song, a learned vocal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beau A Alward
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | | | - Trevor T Chan
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Jacques Balthazart
- GIGA Neuroscience, University of Liege, Avenue Hippocrate, 15, 4000 Liege, Belgium, USA
| | - Charlotte A Cornil
- GIGA Neuroscience, University of Liege, Avenue Hippocrate, 15, 4000 Liege, Belgium, USA
| | - Gregory F Ball
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
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89
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Koumura T, Okanoya K. Automatic Recognition of Element Classes and Boundaries in the Birdsong with Variable Sequences. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0159188. [PMID: 27442240 PMCID: PMC4956110 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Researches on sequential vocalization often require analysis of vocalizations in long continuous sounds. In such studies as developmental ones or studies across generations in which days or months of vocalizations must be analyzed, methods for automatic recognition would be strongly desired. Although methods for automatic speech recognition for application purposes have been intensively studied, blindly applying them for biological purposes may not be an optimal solution. This is because, unlike human speech recognition, analysis of sequential vocalizations often requires accurate extraction of timing information. In the present study we propose automated systems suitable for recognizing birdsong, one of the most intensively investigated sequential vocalizations, focusing on the three properties of the birdsong. First, a song is a sequence of vocal elements, called notes, which can be grouped into categories. Second, temporal structure of birdsong is precisely controlled, meaning that temporal information is important in song analysis. Finally, notes are produced according to certain probabilistic rules, which may facilitate the accurate song recognition. We divided the procedure of song recognition into three sub-steps: local classification, boundary detection, and global sequencing, each of which corresponds to each of the three properties of birdsong. We compared the performances of several different ways to arrange these three steps. As results, we demonstrated a hybrid model of a deep convolutional neural network and a hidden Markov model was effective. We propose suitable arrangements of methods according to whether accurate boundary detection is needed. Also we designed the new measure to jointly evaluate the accuracy of note classification and boundary detection. Our methods should be applicable, with small modification and tuning, to the songs in other species that hold the three properties of the sequential vocalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Koumura
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuo Okanoya
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Cognition and Behavior Joint Laboratory, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Saitama, Japan
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90
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Affiliation(s)
- S.E. Roian Egnor
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia 20147; ,
| | - Kristin Branson
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia 20147; ,
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A Distributed Recurrent Network Contributes to Temporally Precise Vocalizations. Neuron 2016; 91:680-93. [PMID: 27397518 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2015] [Revised: 10/15/2015] [Accepted: 06/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
How do forebrain and brainstem circuits interact to produce temporally precise and reproducible behaviors? Birdsong is an elaborate, temporally precise, and stereotyped vocal behavior controlled by a network of forebrain and brainstem nuclei. An influential idea is that song premotor neurons in a forebrain nucleus (HVC) form a synaptic chain that dictates song timing in a top-down manner. Here we combine physiological, dynamical, and computational methods to show that song timing is not generated solely by a mechanism localized to HVC but instead is the product of a distributed and recurrent synaptic network spanning the forebrain and brainstem, of which HVC is a component.
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92
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Imai R, Sawai A, Hayase S, Furukawa H, Asogwa CN, Sanchez M, Wang H, Mori C, Wada K. A quantitative method for analyzing species-specific vocal sequence pattern and its developmental dynamics. J Neurosci Methods 2016; 271:25-33. [PMID: 27373995 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2016.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Revised: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Songbirds are a preeminent animal model for understanding the neural basis underlying the development and evolution of a complex learned behavior, bird song. However, only a few quantitative methods exist to analyze these species-specific sequential behaviors in multiple species using the same calculation method. NEW METHOD We report a method of analysis that focuses on calculating the frequency of characteristic syllable transitions in songs. This method comprises two steps: The first step involves forming correlation matrices of syllable similarity scores, named syllable similarity matrices (SSMs); these are obtained by calculating the round-robin comparison of all the syllables in two songs, while maintaining the sequential order of syllables in the songs. In the second step, each occurrence rate of three patterns of binarized "2 rows×2 columns" cells in the SSMs is calculated to extract information on the characteristic syllable transitions. RESULTS The SSM analysis method allowed obtaining species-specific features of song patterns and intraspecies individual variability simultaneously. Furthermore, it enabled quantitative tracking of the developmental trajectory of the syllable sequence patterns. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD This method enables us to extract the species-specific song patterns and dissect the regulation of song syntax development without human-biased procedures for syllable identification. This method can be adapted to study the acoustic communication systems in several animal species, such as insects and mammals. CONCLUSIONS This present method provides a comprehensive qualitative approach for understanding the regulation of species specificity and its development in vocal learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raimu Imai
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-810, Japan
| | - Azusa Sawai
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-810, Japan
| | - Shin Hayase
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-810, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Furukawa
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-810, Japan
| | | | - Miguel Sanchez
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-810, Japan
| | - Hongdi Wang
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-810, Japan
| | - Chihiro Mori
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-810, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Wada
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-810, Japan; Department of Biological Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-810, Japan; Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-810, Japan.
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93
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Kriengwatana B, Spierings MJ, ten Cate C. Auditory discrimination learning in zebra finches: effects of sex, early life conditions and stimulus characteristics. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.03.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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Ten Cate C, Spierings M, Hubert J, Honing H. Can Birds Perceive Rhythmic Patterns? A Review and Experiments on a Songbird and a Parrot Species. Front Psychol 2016; 7:730. [PMID: 27242635 PMCID: PMC4872036 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
While humans can easily entrain their behavior with the beat in music, this ability is rare among animals. Yet, comparative studies in non-human species are needed if we want to understand how and why this ability evolved. Entrainment requires two abilities: (1) recognizing the regularity in the auditory stimulus and (2) the ability to adjust the own motor output to the perceived pattern. It has been suggested that beat perception and entrainment are linked to the ability for vocal learning. The presence of some bird species showing beat induction, and also the existence of vocal learning as well as vocal non-learning bird taxa, make them relevant models for comparative research on rhythm perception and its link to vocal learning. Also, some bird vocalizations show strong regularity in rhythmic structure, suggesting that birds might perceive rhythmic structures. In this paper we review the available experimental evidence for the perception of regularity and rhythms by birds, like the ability to distinguish regular from irregular stimuli over tempo transformations and report data from new experiments. While some species show a limited ability to detect regularity, most evidence suggests that birds attend primarily to absolute and not relative timing of patterns and to local features of stimuli. We conclude that, apart from some large parrot species, there is limited evidence for beat and regularity perception among birds and that the link to vocal learning is unclear. We next report the new experiments in which zebra finches and budgerigars (both vocal learners) were first trained to distinguish a regular from an irregular pattern of beats and then tested on various tempo transformations of these stimuli. The results showed that both species reduced the discrimination after tempo transformations. This suggests that, as was found in earlier studies, they attended mainly to local temporal features of the stimuli, and not to their overall regularity. However, some individuals of both species showed an additional sensitivity to the more global pattern if some local features were left unchanged. Altogether our study indicates both between and within species variation, in which birds attend to a mixture of local and to global rhythmic features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carel Ten Cate
- Behavioural Biology, Institute of Biology Leiden and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Michelle Spierings
- Behavioural Biology, Institute of Biology Leiden and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Hubert
- Behavioural Biology, Institute of Biology Leiden and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Henkjan Honing
- Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, Institute for Logic Language and Computation, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
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95
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Quast A, Hesse V, Hain J, Wermke P, Wermke K. Baby babbling at five months linked to sex hormone levels in early infancy. Infant Behav Dev 2016; 44:1-10. [PMID: 27208625 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2016.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2015] [Revised: 12/07/2015] [Accepted: 04/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Gender-dependent differentiation of the brain at morphological, neurochemical and functional levels of organization have been shown to be primarily controlled by sex differences in gonadal hormone concentrations during pre- and early postnatal development. Indeed, previous studies have reported that pre- and perinatal hormonal environments influence brain development and, consequently, affect sex specific long-term language outcomes. Herein, we investigated whether postnatal surges of estrogen (estradiol) and androgen (testosterone) may predict properties of pre-speech babbling at five months. This study is the first attempt to investigate a possible correlation between sex hormones and infants' articulatory skills during the typical postnatal period of extended hormonal activity known as 'mini-puberty.' A hierarchical, multiple regression approach revealed a significant, robust positive relationship between 4-week concentrations of estradiol and individual articulatory skills. In contrast, testosterone concentrations at five months negatively correlated with articulatory skills at the same age in both boys and girls. Our findings reinforce the assumption of the importance of sex hormones for auditory-vocal development towards language in human infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Quast
- Center for Pre-speech Development and Developmental Disorders, Department of Orthodontics, University of Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Volker Hesse
- German Center for Growth, Development and Health Encouragement during Childhood and Youth, Children's Hospital Berlin-Lindenhof, Germany; Charité - University Medicine, Institute for Experimental Paediatric Endocrinology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Johannes Hain
- Department of Mathematics (Statistics), University of Wuerzburg, Germany
| | | | - Kathleen Wermke
- Center for Pre-speech Development and Developmental Disorders, Department of Orthodontics, University of Wuerzburg, Germany.
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96
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Perinatally Influenced Autonomic System Fluctuations Drive Infant Vocal Sequences. Curr Biol 2016; 26:1249-60. [PMID: 27068420 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Revised: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The variable vocal behavior of human infants is the scaffolding upon which speech and social interactions develop. It is important to know what factors drive this developmentally critical behavioral output. Using marmoset monkeys as a model system, we first addressed whether the initial conditions for vocal output and its sequential structure are perinatally influenced. Using dizygotic twins and Markov analyses of their vocal sequences, we found that in the first postnatal week, twins had more similar vocal sequences to each other than to their non-twin siblings. Moreover, both twins and their siblings had more vocal sequence similarity with each other than with non-sibling infants. Using electromyography, we then investigated the physiological basis of vocal sequence structure by measuring respiration and arousal levels (via changes in heart rate). We tested the hypothesis that early-life influences on vocal output are via fluctuations of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) mediated by vocal biomechanics. We found that arousal levels fluctuate at ∼0.1 Hz (the Mayer wave) and that this slow oscillation modulates the amplitude of the faster, ∼1.0 Hz respiratory rhythm. The systematic changes in respiratory amplitude result in the different vocalizations that comprise infant vocal sequences. Among twins, the temporal structure of arousal level changes was similar and therefore indicates why their vocal sequences were similar. Our study shows that vocal sequences are tightly linked to respiratory patterns that are modulated by ANS fluctuations and that the temporal structure of ANS fluctuations is perinatally influenced.
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97
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98
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Kershenbaum A, Blumstein DT, Roch MA, Akçay Ç, Backus G, Bee MA, Bohn K, Cao Y, Carter G, Cäsar C, Coen M, DeRuiter SL, Doyle L, Edelman S, Ferrer-i-Cancho R, Freeberg TM, Garland EC, Gustison M, Harley HE, Huetz C, Hughes M, Bruno JH, Ilany A, Jin DZ, Johnson M, Ju C, Karnowski J, Lohr B, Manser MB, McCowan B, Mercado E, Narins PM, Piel A, Rice M, Salmi R, Sasahara K, Sayigh L, Shiu Y, Taylor C, Vallejo EE, Waller S, Zamora-Gutierrez V. Acoustic sequences in non-human animals: a tutorial review and prospectus. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 91:13-52. [PMID: 25428267 PMCID: PMC4444413 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2014] [Revised: 10/02/2014] [Accepted: 10/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Animal acoustic communication often takes the form of complex sequences, made up of multiple distinct acoustic units. Apart from the well-known example of birdsong, other animals such as insects, amphibians, and mammals (including bats, rodents, primates, and cetaceans) also generate complex acoustic sequences. Occasionally, such as with birdsong, the adaptive role of these sequences seems clear (e.g. mate attraction and territorial defence). More often however, researchers have only begun to characterise - let alone understand - the significance and meaning of acoustic sequences. Hypotheses abound, but there is little agreement as to how sequences should be defined and analysed. Our review aims to outline suitable methods for testing these hypotheses, and to describe the major limitations to our current and near-future knowledge on questions of acoustic sequences. This review and prospectus is the result of a collaborative effort between 43 scientists from the fields of animal behaviour, ecology and evolution, signal processing, machine learning, quantitative linguistics, and information theory, who gathered for a 2013 workshop entitled, 'Analysing vocal sequences in animals'. Our goal is to present not just a review of the state of the art, but to propose a methodological framework that summarises what we suggest are the best practices for research in this field, across taxa and across disciplines. We also provide a tutorial-style introduction to some of the most promising algorithmic approaches for analysing sequences. We divide our review into three sections: identifying the distinct units of an acoustic sequence, describing the different ways that information can be contained within a sequence, and analysing the structure of that sequence. Each of these sections is further subdivided to address the key questions and approaches in that area. We propose a uniform, systematic, and comprehensive approach to studying sequences, with the goal of clarifying research terms used in different fields, and facilitating collaboration and comparative studies. Allowing greater interdisciplinary collaboration will facilitate the investigation of many important questions in the evolution of communication and sociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arik Kershenbaum
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, 1122 Volunteer Blvd., Suite 106, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-3410, USA
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Daniel T. Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA
| | - Marie A. Roch
- Department of Computer Science, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Çağlar Akçay
- Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Gregory Backus
- Department of Biomathematics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
| | - Mark A. Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, 100 Ecology Building, 1987 Upper Buford Cir, Falcon Heights, MN 55108, USA
| | - Kirsten Bohn
- Integrated Science, Florida International University, Modesto Maidique Campus, 11200 SW 8th Street, AHC-4, 351, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Yan Cao
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX 75080, USA
| | - Gerald Carter
- Biological Sciences Graduate Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Cristiane Cäsar
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, St Mary’s Quad South Street, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9JP, UK
| | - Michael Coen
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin, K6/446 Clinical Sciences Center, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53792-4675, USA
| | - Stacy L. DeRuiter
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St. Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9SS, UK
| | - Laurance Doyle
- Carl Sagan Center for the Study of Life in the Universe, SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Ave, Suite 100, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | - Shimon Edelman
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, 211 Uris Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-7601, USA
| | - Ramon Ferrer-i-Cancho
- Department of Computer Science, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, (Catalonia), Calle Jordi Girona, 31, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Todd M. Freeberg
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Austin Peay Building, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
| | - Ellen C. Garland
- National Marine Mammal Laboratory, AFSC/NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Seattle, Washington 98115, USA
| | - Morgan Gustison
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, 530 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Heidi E. Harley
- Division of Social Sciences, New College of Florida, 5800 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA
| | - Chloé Huetz
- CNPS, CNRS UMR 8195, Université Paris-Sud, UMR 8195, Batiments 440-447, Rue Claude Bernard, 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Melissa Hughes
- Department of Biology, College of Charleston, 66 George St, Charleston, SC 29424, USA
| | - Julia Hyland Bruno
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College and the Graduate Center, The City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Amiyaal Ilany
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, 1122 Volunteer Blvd., Suite 106, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-3410, USA
| | - Dezhe Z. Jin
- Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University, 104 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802-6300, USA
| | - Michael Johnson
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Marquette University, 1515 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - Chenghui Ju
- Department of Biology, Queen College, The City Univ. of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, New York 11367, USA
| | - Jeremy Karnowski
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0515, USA
| | - Bernard Lohr
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
| | - Marta B. Manser
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Brenda McCowan
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, 1 Peter J Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Eduardo Mercado
- Department of Psychology; Evolution, Ecology, & Behavior, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Park Hall Room 204, Buffalo, NY 14260-4110, USA
| | - Peter M. Narins
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, 612 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7246, USA
| | - Alex Piel
- Division of Biological Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Pembroke Street Cambridge, CB2 3QG, UK
| | - Megan Rice
- Department of Psychology, California State University San Marcos, 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Rd., San Marcos, CA 92096-0001, USA
| | - Roberta Salmi
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia at Athens, 355 S Jackson St, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Kazutoshi Sasahara
- Graduate School of Information Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan
| | - Laela Sayigh
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 86 Water St, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Yu Shiu
- Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Charles Taylor
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA
| | - Edgar E. Vallejo
- Department of Computer Science, Monterrey Institute of Technology, Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur Col. Tecnológico C.P. 64849, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
| | - Sara Waller
- Department of Philosophy, Montana State University, 2-155 Wilson Hall, Bozeman, Montana 59717, USA
| | - Veronica Zamora-Gutierrez
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Research, University College London, London WC1H 0AG, UK
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Gero S, Whitehead H, Rendell L. Individual, unit and vocal clan level identity cues in sperm whale codas. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:150372. [PMID: 26909165 PMCID: PMC4736920 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.150372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/03/2015] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The 'social complexity hypothesis' suggests that complex social structure is a driver of diversity in animal communication systems. Sperm whales have a hierarchically structured society in which the largest affiliative structures, the vocal clans, are marked on ocean-basin scales by culturally transmitted dialects of acoustic signals known as 'codas'. We examined variation in coda repertoires among both individual whales and social units-the basic element of sperm whale society-using data from nine Caribbean social units across six years. Codas were assigned to individuals using photo-identification and acoustic size measurement, and we calculated similarity between repertoires using both continuous and categorical methods. We identified 21 coda types. Two of those ('1+1+3' and '5R1') made up 65% of the codas recorded, were shared across all units and have dominated repertoires in this population for at least 30 years. Individuals appear to differ in the way they produce '5R1' but not '1+1+3' coda. Units use distinct 4-click coda types which contribute to making unit repertoires distinctive. Our results support the social complexity hypothesis in a marine species as different patterns of variation between coda types suggest divergent functions, perhaps representing selection for identity signals at several levels of social structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane Gero
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Jutland, Denmark
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada B3H 4J1
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, and Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
- Author for correspondence: Shane Gero e-mail:
| | - Hal Whitehead
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada B3H 4J1
| | - Luke Rendell
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, and Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
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