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Alam D, Zia F, Roberts TF. The hidden fitness of the male zebra finch courtship song. Nature 2024; 628:117-121. [PMID: 38509376 PMCID: PMC11410162 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07207-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Vocal learning in songbirds is thought to have evolved through sexual selection, with female preference driving males to develop large and varied song repertoires1-3. However, many songbird species learn only a single song in their lifetime4. How sexual selection drives the evolution of single-song repertoires is not known. Here, by applying dimensionality-reduction techniques to the singing behaviour of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), we show that syllable spread in low-dimensional feature space explains how single songs function as honest indicators of fitness. We find that this Gestalt measure of behaviour captures the spectrotemporal distinctiveness of song syllables in zebra finches; that females strongly prefer songs that occupy more latent space; and that matching path lengths in low-dimensional space is difficult for young males. Our findings clarify how simple vocal repertoires may have evolved in songbirds and indicate divergent strategies for how sexual selection can shape vocal learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danyal Alam
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Fayha Zia
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Todd F Roberts
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
- O'Donnell Brain Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
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2
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Mitoyen C, Quigley C, Canoine V, Colombo S, Wölfl S, Fusani L. Alteration of the temporal association between courtship audio and visual components affects female sexual response. Integr Zool 2023; 18:720-735. [PMID: 35848698 PMCID: PMC7616322 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Some multimodal signals-that is, occurring in more than one sensory modality-appear to carry additional information which is not present when component signals are presented separately. To understand the function of male ring dove's (Streptopelia risoria) multimodal courtship, we used audiovisual playback of male displays to investigate female response to stimuli differing in their audiovisual timing. From natural courtship recordings, we created a shifted stimulus where audio was shifted relative to video by a fixed value and a jittered stimulus, where each call was moved randomly along the visual channel. We presented 3 groups of females with the same stimulus type, that is, control, shifted, and jittered, for 7 days. We recorded their behavior and assessed pre- and post-test blood estradiol concentration. We found that playback exposure increased estradiol levels, confirming that this technique can be efficiently used to study doves' sexual communication. Additionally, chasing behavior (indicating sexual stimulation) increased over experimental days only in the control condition, suggesting a role of multimodal timing on female response. This stresses the importance of signal configuration in multimodal communication, as additional information is likely to be contained in the temporal association between modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémentine Mitoyen
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Cliodhna Quigley
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Virginie Canoine
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Silvia Colombo
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Simon Wölfl
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Leonida Fusani
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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3
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Trusel M, Roberts TF. Neural circuits: How the songbird brain orchestrates courtship displays. Curr Biol 2023; 33:R351-R353. [PMID: 37160090 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Volitional production of complex behaviors can be motivated by intrinsic rewards and also by extrinsic cues, like social engagement. A new study has revealed the neural circuit permitting social motivation to release multi-component courtship behaviors in a songbird, specifically the zebra finch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Trusel
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Todd F Roberts
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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4
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Ben-Tov M, Duarte F, Mooney R. A neural hub for holistic courtship displays. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1640-1653.e5. [PMID: 36944337 PMCID: PMC10249437 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.02.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Courtship displays often involve the concerted production of several distinct courtship behaviors. The neural circuits that enable the concerted production of the component behaviors of a courtship display are not well understood. Here, we identify a midbrain cell group (A11) that enables male zebra finches to produce their learned songs in concert with various other behaviors, including female-directed orientation, pursuit, and calling. Anatomical mapping reveals that A11 is at the center of a complex network including the song premotor nucleus HVC as well as brainstem regions crucial to calling and locomotion. Notably, lesioning A11 terminals in HVC blocked female-directed singing but did not interfere with female-directed calling, orientation, or pursuit. In contrast, lesioning A11 cell bodies strongly reduced and often abolished all female-directed courtship behaviors. However, males with either type of lesion still produced songs when in social isolation. Lastly, imaging calcium-related activity in A11 terminals in HVC showed that during courtship, A11 signals HVC about female-directed calls and during female-directed singing, about the transition from simpler introductory notes to the acoustically more complex syllables that depend intimately on HVC for their production. These results show how a brain region important to reproduction in both birds and mammals enables holistic courtship displays in male zebra finches, which include learning songs, calls, and other non-vocal behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mor Ben-Tov
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, 311 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
| | - Fabiola Duarte
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, 311 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Richard Mooney
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, 311 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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5
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Simon R, Varkevisser J, Mendoza E, Hochradel K, Elsinga R, Wiersma PG, Middelburg E, Zoeter E, Scharff C, Riebel K, Halfwerk W. RoboFinch: A versatile audio‐visual synchronised robotic bird model for laboratory and field research on songbirds. Methods Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.14063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ralph Simon
- Department of Ecological Science VU University Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Behavioral Ecology and Conservation Lab Nuremberg Zoo Nuremberg Germany
| | | | - Ezequiel Mendoza
- Department of Animal Behavior, Institute of Biology Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Klaus Hochradel
- Institute of Measurement and Sensor Technology UMIT‐Private University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology GmbH Hall in Tirol Austria
| | - Rogier Elsinga
- Department of Ecological Science VU University Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Peter G. Wiersma
- Department of Ecological Science VU University Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Esmee Middelburg
- Institute of Biology Leiden Leiden University Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Eva Zoeter
- Institute of Biology Leiden Leiden University Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Constance Scharff
- Department of Animal Behavior, Institute of Biology Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Katharina Riebel
- Institute of Biology Leiden Leiden University Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Wouter Halfwerk
- Department of Ecological Science VU University Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
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6
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Méndez JM, Dukes J, Cooper BG. Preparing to sing: respiratory patterns underlying motor readiness for song. J Neurophysiol 2022; 128:1646-1662. [PMID: 36416416 PMCID: PMC9762977 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00551.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence for motor preparation and planning comes from neural activity preceding neural commands to activate the effectors; such preparatory activity is observed in pallial areas controlling learned motor behaviors. Vocal learning in songbirds is an example of a learned, sequential motor behavior that is a respiratory motor act and where there is evidence for neuromuscular planning. Respiration is the foundation of vocalization, elucidating the neural control of song motor planning requires studying respiratory antecedents of song initiation. Despite the importance of respiration in song production, few studies have investigated respiratory antecedents of impending vocalizations. Therefore, we investigated respiratory patterns in male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) and Bengalese finches (Lonchura striata domestica) prior to, during, and following song bouts. In both species, compared with quiet respiration, song respiratory patterns were generated with higher amplitude, faster tempo, and ∼70% of the respiratory cycle is in the expiratory phase. In female-directed and isolation song, both species show a change in the respiratory tempo and the proportion of time spent inhaling prior to song. Following song, only zebra finches show systematic changes in respiratory patterns; they spend a greater proportion of the respiratory cycle in the expiratory phase for 1 s after song, which is likely due to hyperventilation during song. Accelerated respiratory rhythms before song may reflect the motor preparation for the upcoming song production; species differences in preparatory motor activity could be related to the degree to which motor planning is required; finally, song termination may be dictated by respiratory demands.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Motor planning for vocal production in birdsong manifests as an adaptation of respiratory characteristics prior to song. The songbird's respiratory system anticipates the upcoming song production by accelerating the respiratory tempo and increasing the proportion of time spent inhaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge M Méndez
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Minnesota
| | - Jacqueline Dukes
- Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas
| | - Brenton G Cooper
- Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas
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Faiß M, Riede T, Goller F. Tonality over a broad frequency range is linked to vocal learning in birds. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220792. [PMID: 36100028 PMCID: PMC9470270 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many birds emit tonal song syllables even though the sound sources generate sound with rich upper harmonic energy content. This tonality is thought to arise in part from dynamically adjusted filtering of harmonic content. Here, we compare tonality of song syllables between vocal learners and non-learners to assess whether this characteristic is linked to the increased neural substrate that evolved with vocal learning. We hypothesize that vocal learning ability is correlated with enhanced ability for generating tonal sounds, because vocal production learners might also have an enhanced ability to articulate their vocal tracts and sound source for producing tonality. To test this hypothesis, we compared vocal learners and non-learners from two groups (186 passerines and 42 hummingbirds) by assessing tonality of song syllables. The data suggest that vocal learners in both clades have evolved to sing songs with higher tonality than the related, non-vocal learning clades, which is consistent with stronger roles for broadband dynamic filtering and adjustments to the sound source. In addition, oscine songs display higher tonality than those of hummingbirds. A complex interplay of vocal tract biomechanics, anatomical differences of the sound source as well as increased motor control through vocal learning facilitates generation of broad tonality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius Faiß
- Institute for Zoophysiology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Tobias Riede
- Department of Physiology, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - Franz Goller
- Institute for Zoophysiology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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8
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Liu WC, Landstrom M, Cealie M, MacKillop I. A juvenile locomotor program promotes vocal learning in zebra finches. Commun Biol 2022; 5:573. [PMID: 35689094 PMCID: PMC9187677 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03533-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution and development of complex, learned motor skills are thought to be closely associated with other locomotor movement and cognitive functions. However, it remains largely unknown how different neuromuscular programs may interconnect during the protracted developmental process. Here we use a songbird to examine the behavioral and neural substrates between the development of locomotor movement and vocal-motor learning. Juvenile songbirds escalate their locomotor activity during the sensitive period for vocal learning, followed by a surge of vocal practice. Individual variability of locomotor production is positively correlated with precision of tutor imitation and duration of multi-syllable sequences. Manipulation of juvenile locomotion significantly impacts the precision of vocal imitation and neural plasticity. The locomotor program developed during the sensitive period of vocal learning may enrich the neural substrates that promote the subsequent development of vocal learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Chun Liu
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, USA.
| | - Michelle Landstrom
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, USA
| | - MaKenna Cealie
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, USA
| | - Iona MacKillop
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, USA
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9
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10
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Wang D, Forstmeier W, Farine DR, Maldonado-Chaparro AA, Martin K, Pei Y, Alarcón-Nieto G, Klarevas-Irby JA, Ma S, Aplin LM, Kempenaers B. Machine learning reveals cryptic dialects that explain mate choice in a songbird. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1630. [PMID: 35347115 PMCID: PMC8960899 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28881-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Culturally transmitted communication signals - such as human language or bird song - can change over time through cultural drift, and the resulting dialects may consequently enhance the separation of populations. However, the emergence of song dialects has been considered unlikely when songs are highly individual-specific, as in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). Here we show that machine learning can nevertheless distinguish the songs from multiple captive zebra finch populations with remarkable precision, and that 'cryptic song dialects' predict strong assortative mating in this species. We examine mating patterns across three consecutive generations using captive populations that have evolved in isolation for about 100 generations. We cross-fostered eggs within and between these populations and used an automated barcode tracking system to quantify social interactions. We find that females preferentially pair with males whose song resembles that of the females' adolescent peers. Our study shows evidence that in zebra finches, a model species for song learning, individuals are sensitive to differences in song that have hitherto remained unnoticed by researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiping Wang
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany.
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Wolfgang Forstmeier
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany.
| | - Damien R Farine
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78457, Konstanz, Germany.
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany.
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8047, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Adriana A Maldonado-Chaparro
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
| | - Katrin Martin
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Yifan Pei
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Gustavo Alarcón-Nieto
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
- Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - James A Klarevas-Irby
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8047, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Shouwen Ma
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Straße, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Lucy M Aplin
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
- Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany.
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12
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Sainburg T, Gentner TQ. Toward a Computational Neuroethology of Vocal Communication: From Bioacoustics to Neurophysiology, Emerging Tools and Future Directions. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:811737. [PMID: 34987365 PMCID: PMC8721140 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.811737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently developed methods in computational neuroethology have enabled increasingly detailed and comprehensive quantification of animal movements and behavioral kinematics. Vocal communication behavior is well poised for application of similar large-scale quantification methods in the service of physiological and ethological studies. This review describes emerging techniques that can be applied to acoustic and vocal communication signals with the goal of enabling study beyond a small number of model species. We review a range of modern computational methods for bioacoustics, signal processing, and brain-behavior mapping. Along with a discussion of recent advances and techniques, we include challenges and broader goals in establishing a framework for the computational neuroethology of vocal communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Sainburg
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Center for Academic Research & Training in Anthropogeny, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Timothy Q. Gentner
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
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14
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Chen R, Gadagkar V, Roeser AC, Puzerey PA, Goldberg JH. Movement signaling in ventral pallidum and dopaminergic midbrain is gated by behavioral state in singing birds. J Neurophysiol 2021; 125:2219-2227. [PMID: 33949888 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00110.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Movement-related neuronal discharge in ventral tegmental area (VTA) and ventral pallidum (VP) is inconsistently observed across studies. One possibility is that some neurons are movement related and others are not. Another possibility is that the precise behavioral conditions matter-that a single neuron can be movement related under certain behavioral states but not others. We recorded single VTA and VP neurons in birds transitioning between singing and nonsinging states while monitoring body movement with microdrive-mounted accelerometers. Many VP and VTA neurons exhibited body movement-locked activity exclusively when the bird was not singing. During singing, VP and VTA neurons could switch off their tuning to body movement and become instead precisely time-locked to specific song syllables. These changes in neuronal tuning occurred rapidly at state boundaries. Our findings show that movement-related activity in limbic circuits can be gated by behavioral context.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Neural signals in the limbic system have long been known to represent body movements as well as reward. Here, we show that single neurons dramatically change their tuning from movement to song timing when a bird starts to sing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruidong Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Vikram Gadagkar
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.,Department of Neuroscience, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Andrea C Roeser
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Pavel A Puzerey
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Jesse H Goldberg
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
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15
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The expression of DARPP-32 in adult male zebra finches (Taenopygia guttata). Brain Struct Funct 2019; 224:2939-2972. [PMID: 31473781 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-019-01947-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Although the catecholaminergic circuitry in the zebra finch brain has been well studied, there is little information regarding the postsynaptic targets of dopamine. To answer this question, we looked at overall patterns of immunoreactivity for DARPP-32 (a dopamine and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein, present mostly in dopaminoceptive neurons) in adult male zebra finches. Our results demonstrated that as in mammals and other avian species, DARPP-32 expression was highest in both medial and lateral striatum. Interestingly, a specific pattern of immunoreactivity was observed in the song control system, with 'core' song control regions, that is, LMANcore (lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium), RA (nucleus robustus arcopallialis) and HVC being less immunoreactive for DARPP-32 than 'shell' areas such as LMANshell, RAcup, AId (intermediate arcopallium) and HVCshelf. Our results suggest that whereas dopamine may modulate the shell pathways at various levels of the AFP, dopaminergic modulation of the core pathway occurs mainly through Area X, a basal ganglia nucleus. Further, secondary sensory cortices including the perientopallial belt, Fields L1 and L3 had higher DARPP-32-immunoreactivity than primary sensory cortical areas such as the pallial basolateral nucleus, entopallium proper and Field L2, corresponding to somatosensory, visual and auditory systems, respectively. We also found DARPP-32-rich axon terminals surrounding dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area-substantia nigra complex which in turn project to the striatum, suggesting that there may be a reciprocal modulation between these regions. Overall, DARPP-32 expression appears to be higher in areas involved in integrating sensory information, which further supports the role of this protein as a molecular integrator of different signal processing pathways.
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16
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Wolf W, Tomasello M. Visually attending to a video together facilitates great ape social closeness. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190488. [PMID: 31311469 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans create social closeness with one another through a variety of shared social activities in which they align their emotions or mental states towards an external stimulus such as dancing to music together, playing board games together or even engaging in minimal shared experiences such as watching a movie together. Although these specific behaviours would seem to be uniquely human, it is unclear whether the underlying psychology is unique to the species, or if other species might possess some form of this psychological mechanism as well. Here we show that great apes who have visually attended to a video together with a human (study 1) and a conspecific (study 2) subsequently approach that individual faster (study 1) or spend more time in their proximity (study 2) than when they had attended to something different. Our results suggest that one of the most basic mechanisms of human social bonding-feeling closer to those with whom we act or attend together-is present in both humans and great apes, and thus has deeper evolutionary roots than previously suspected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wouter Wolf
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.,Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Michael Tomasello
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.,Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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17
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Gustison ML, Borjon JI, Takahashi DY, Ghazanfar AA. Vocal and locomotor coordination develops in association with the autonomic nervous system. eLife 2019; 8:e41853. [PMID: 31310236 PMCID: PMC6684270 DOI: 10.7554/elife.41853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In adult animals, movement and vocalizations are coordinated, sometimes facilitating, and at other times inhibiting, each other. What is missing is how these different domains of motor control become coordinated over the course of development. We investigated how postural-locomotor behaviors may influence vocal development, and the role played by physiological arousal during their interactions. Using infant marmoset monkeys, we densely sampled vocal, postural and locomotor behaviors and estimated arousal fluctuations from electrocardiographic measures of heart rate. We found that vocalizations matured sooner than postural and locomotor skills, and that vocal-locomotor coordination improved with age and during elevated arousal levels. These results suggest that postural-locomotor maturity is not required for vocal development to occur, and that infants gradually improve coordination between vocalizations and body movement through a process that may be facilitated by arousal level changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan L Gustison
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Jeremy I Borjon
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
- Department of PsychologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Daniel Y Takahashi
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
- Department of PsychologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Asif A Ghazanfar
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
- Department of PsychologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
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18
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Halfwerk W, Varkevisser J, Simon R, Mendoza E, Scharff C, Riebel K. Toward Testing for Multimodal Perception of Mating Signals. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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19
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Schaedler LM, Ribeiro PHL, Guaraldo AC, Manica LT. Acoustic signals and repertoire complexity in Swallow-tailed Manakins (Chiroxiphia caudata, Aves: Pipridae). BIOACOUSTICS 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2018.1563870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura M. Schaedler
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e Ornitologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Pedro H. L. Ribeiro
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e Ornitologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - André C. Guaraldo
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e Ornitologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Lilian T. Manica
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e Ornitologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
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20
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Animal choreography of song and dance: a case study in the Montezuma oropendola, Psarocolius montezuma. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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21
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Lawson SL, Fishbein AR, Prior NH, Ball GF, Dooling RJ. Relative salience of syllable structure and syllable order in zebra finch song. Anim Cogn 2018; 21:467-480. [PMID: 29766379 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-018-1182-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Revised: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
There is a rich history of behavioral and neurobiological research focused on the 'syntax' of birdsong as a model for human language and complex auditory perception. Zebra finches are one of the most widely studied songbird species in this area of investigation. As they produce song syllables in a fixed sequence, it is reasonable to assume that adult zebra finches are also sensitive to the order of syllables within their song; however, results from electrophysiological and behavioral studies provide somewhat mixed evidence on exactly how sensitive zebra finches are to syllable order as compared, say, to syllable structure. Here, we investigate how well adult zebra finches can discriminate changes in syllable order relative to changes in syllable structure in their natural song motifs. In addition, we identify a possible role for experience in enhancing sensitivity to syllable order. We found that both male and female adult zebra finches are surprisingly poor at discriminating changes to the order of syllables within their species-specific song motifs, but are extraordinarily good at discriminating changes to syllable structure (i.e., reversals) in specific syllables. Direct experience or familiarity with a song, either using the bird's own song (BOS) or the song of a flock mate as the test stimulus, improved both male and female zebra finches' sensitivity to syllable order. However, even with experience, birds remained much more sensitive to structural changes in syllables. These results help to clarify some of the ambiguities from the literature on the discriminability of changes in syllable order in zebra finches, provide potential insight on the ethological significance of zebra finch song features, and suggest new avenues of investigation in using zebra finches as animal models for sequential sound processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelby L Lawson
- Psychology Department, University of Maryland, Biology-Psychology Bldg., 4094 Campus Dr., College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Adam R Fishbein
- Psychology Department, University of Maryland, Biology-Psychology Bldg., 4094 Campus Dr., College Park, MD, 20742, USA.,Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742, United States
| | - Nora H Prior
- Psychology Department, University of Maryland, Biology-Psychology Bldg., 4094 Campus Dr., College Park, MD, 20742, USA.,Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742, United States
| | - Gregory F Ball
- Psychology Department, University of Maryland, Biology-Psychology Bldg., 4094 Campus Dr., College Park, MD, 20742, USA.,Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742, United States
| | - Robert J Dooling
- Psychology Department, University of Maryland, Biology-Psychology Bldg., 4094 Campus Dr., College Park, MD, 20742, USA. .,Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742, United States.
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22
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Affiliation(s)
- Paweł Ręk
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, Poznań, Poland
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
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23
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Hyland Bruno J, Tchernichovski O. Regularities in zebra finch song beyond the repeated motif. Behav Processes 2017; 163:53-59. [PMID: 29122641 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2017] [Revised: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The proliferation of birdsong research into the neural mechanisms of vocal learning is indebted to the remarkable stereotypy of the zebra finch's song motif. Motifs are composed of several syllables, which birds learn to produce in a fixed order. But at a higher level of organization-the bout-zebra finch song is no longer stereotyped. Song bouts include several repetitions of the motif, which are often linked by a variable number of short "connector" vocalizations. In this conceptual methods paper, we show that combinatorial analysis alone yields an incomplete description of this bout-level structure. In contrast, studying birdsong as a time-varying analog signal can reveal patterns of flexibility in the rhythmic organization of song bouts. Visualizing large song-samples in sorted raster plots shows that motifs are strung together via two distinct categories of connections: tight or loose. Loose connections allow considerable timing variation across renditions. Even among co-tutored birds that acquired similar motifs, we observe strong individual variability in rhythms and temporal plasticity of song bouts. These findings suggest that vocal flexibility could potentially allow individuals to express a variety of behavioral states through their songs, even in species that sing only a single stereotyped motif.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Hyland Bruno
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, HN 621, New York, NY 10065, USA; Psychology PhD Program, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| | - Ofer Tchernichovski
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, HN 621, New York, NY 10065, USA; Psychology PhD Program, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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24
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Muyshondt PGG, Claes R, Aerts P, Dirckx JJJ. Sound attenuation in the ear of domestic chickens ( Gallus gallus domesticus) as a result of beak opening. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:171286. [PMID: 29291112 PMCID: PMC5717687 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.171286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Because the quadrate and the eardrum are connected, the hypothesis was tested that birds attenuate the transmission of sound through their ears by opening the bill, which potentially serves as an additional protective mechanism for self-generated vocalizations. In domestic chickens, it was examined if a difference exists between hens and roosters, given the difference in vocalization capacity between the sexes. To test the hypothesis, vibrations of the columellar footplate were measured ex vivo with laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV) for closed and maximally opened beak conditions, with sounds introduced at the ear canal. The average attenuation was 3.5 dB in roosters and only 0.5 dB in hens. To demonstrate the importance of a putative protective mechanism, audio recordings were performed of a crowing rooster. Sound pressures levels of 133.5 dB were recorded near the ears. The frequency content of the vocalizations was in accordance with the range of highest hearing sensitivity in chickens. The results indicate a small but significant difference in sound attenuation between hens and roosters. However, the amount of attenuation as measured in the experiments on both hens and roosters is small and will provide little effective protection in addition to other mechanisms such as stapedius muscle activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter G. G. Muyshondt
- Laboratory of Biophysics and Biomedical Physics, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, Antwerp 2020, Belgium
- Author for correspondence: Pieter G. G. Muyshondt e-mail:
| | - Raf Claes
- Functional Morphology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Antwerp 2610, Belgium
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Free University of Brussels, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels 1050, Belgium
| | - Peter Aerts
- Functional Morphology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Antwerp 2610, Belgium
- Department of Movement and Sport Science, University of Ghent, Watersportlaan 2, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Joris J. J. Dirckx
- Laboratory of Biophysics and Biomedical Physics, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, Antwerp 2020, Belgium
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25
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Evolution of the androgen-induced male phenotype. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 204:81-92. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1215-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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26
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Paterson AK, Bottjer SW. Cortical inter-hemispheric circuits for multimodal vocal learning in songbirds. J Comp Neurol 2017; 525:3312-3340. [PMID: 28681379 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2016] [Revised: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Vocal learning in songbirds and humans is strongly influenced by social interactions based on sensory inputs from several modalities. Songbird vocal learning is mediated by cortico-basal ganglia circuits that include the SHELL region of lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium (LMAN), but little is known concerning neural pathways that could integrate multimodal sensory information with SHELL circuitry. In addition, cortical pathways that mediate the precise coordination between hemispheres required for song production have been little studied. In order to identify candidate mechanisms for multimodal sensory integration and bilateral coordination for vocal learning in zebra finches, we investigated the anatomical organization of two regions that receive input from SHELL: the dorsal caudolateral nidopallium (dNCLSHELL ) and a region within the ventral arcopallium (Av). Anterograde and retrograde tracing experiments revealed a topographically organized inter-hemispheric circuit: SHELL and dNCLSHELL , as well as adjacent nidopallial areas, send axonal projections to ipsilateral Av; Av in turn projects to contralateral SHELL, dNCLSHELL , and regions of nidopallium adjacent to each. Av on each side also projects directly to contralateral Av. dNCLSHELL and Av each integrate inputs from ipsilateral SHELL with inputs from sensory regions in surrounding nidopallium, suggesting that they function to integrate multimodal sensory information with song-related responses within LMAN-SHELL during vocal learning. Av projections share this integrated information from the ipsilateral hemisphere with contralateral sensory and song-learning regions. Our results suggest that the inter-hemispheric pathway through Av may function to integrate multimodal sensory feedback with vocal-learning circuitry and coordinate bilateral vocal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy K Paterson
- Program in Genetic, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Sarah W Bottjer
- Section of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
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27
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Abstract
Peter Marler's fascination with richness of birdsong included the notion that birds attended to some acoustic features of birdsong, likely in the time domain, which were inaccessible to human listeners. While a considerable amount is known about hearing and vocal communication in birds, how exactly birds perceive their auditory world still remains somewhat of a mystery. For sure, field and laboratory studies suggest that birds hear the spectral, gross temporal features (i.e. envelope) and perhaps syntax of birdsong much like we do. However, there is also ample anecdotal evidence that birds are consistently more sensitive than humans to at least some aspects of their song. Here we review several psychophysical studies supporting Marler's intuitions that birds have both an exquisite sensitivity to temporal fine structure and may be able to focus their auditory attention on critical acoustic details of their vocalizations. Zebra finches, Taeniopygia guttata, particularly, seem to be extremely sensitive to temporal fine structure in both synthetic stimuli and natural vocalizations. This finding, together with recent research highlighting the complexity of zebra finch vocalizations across contexts, raises interesting questions about what information zebra finches may be communicating in temporal fine structure. Together these findings show there is an acoustic richness in bird vocalizations that is available to birds but likely out of reach for human listeners. Depending on the universality of these findings, it raises questions about how we approach the study of birdsong and whether potentially significant information is routinely being encoded in the temporal fine structure of avian vocal signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Dooling
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, U.S.A
| | - Nora H. Prior
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, U.S.A
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28
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Claes R, Muyshondt PGG, Van Hoorebeke L, Dhaene J, Dirckx JJJ, Aerts P. The effect of craniokinesis on the middle ear of domestic chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus). J Anat 2016; 230:414-423. [PMID: 27896803 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The avian middle ear differs from that of mammalians and contains a tympanic membrane, one ossicle (bony columella and cartilaginous extra-columella), some ligaments and one muscle. The rim of the eardrum (closing the middle ear cavity) is connected to the neurocranium and, by means of a broad ligament, to the otic process of the quadrate. Due to the limited number of components in the avian middle ear, the possibilities of attenuating the conduction of sound seem to be limited to activity of the stapedius muscle. We investigate to what extent craniokinesis may impact the components of the middle ear because of the connection of the eardrum to the movable quadrate. The quadrate is a part of the beak suspension and plays an important role in craniokinesis. Micro-computed tomography was used to visualize morphology and the effect of craniokinesis on the middle ear in the domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). Both hens and roosters are considered because of their difference in vocalization capacity. It is hypothesized that effects, if present, of craniokinesis on the middle ear will be greater in roosters because of their louder vocalization. Maximal lower jaw depression was comparable for hens and roosters (respectively 34.1 ± 2.6° and 32.7 ± 2.5°). There is no overlap in ranges of maximal upper jaw elevation between the sexes (respectively 12.7 ± 2.5° and 18.5 ± 3.8°). Frontal rotation about the transversal quadrato-squamosal, and inward rotation about the squamosal-mandibular axes of the quadrate were both considered to be greater in roosters (respectively 15.4 ± 2.8° and 11.1 ± 2.5°). These quadrate rotations did not affect the columellar position or orientation. In hens, an influence of the quadrate movements on the shape of the eardrum could not be detected either; however, craniokinesis caused slight stretching of the eardrum towards the caudal rim of the otic process of the quadrate. In roosters, an inward displacement of the conical tip of the tympanic membrane of 0.378 ± 0.21 mm, as a result of craniokinesis, was observed. This is linked to a flattening and slackening of the eardrum. These changes most likely go along with a deformation of the extra-columella. Generally, in birds, larger beak opening is related to the intensity of vocalization. The coupling between larger maximal upper jaw lifting in roosters and the slackening of the eardrum suggest the presence of a passive sound attenuation mechanism during self-vocalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raf Claes
- Laboratory of Functional Morphology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Luc Van Hoorebeke
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, UGCT - Radiation Physics, University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jelle Dhaene
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, UGCT - Radiation Physics, University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Joris J J Dirckx
- Laboratory of BioMedical Physics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Peter Aerts
- Laboratory of Functional Morphology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Movement and Sports Science, University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
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29
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Manica LT, Macedo RH, Graves JA, Podos J. Vigor and skill in the acrobatic mating displays of a Neotropical songbird. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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30
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Norton P, Scharff C. "Bird Song Metronomics": Isochronous Organization of Zebra Finch Song Rhythm. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:309. [PMID: 27458334 PMCID: PMC4934119 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The human capacity for speech and vocal music depends on vocal imitation. Songbirds, in contrast to non-human primates, share this vocal production learning with humans. The process through which birds and humans learn many of their vocalizations as well as the underlying neural system exhibit a number of striking parallels and have been widely researched. In contrast, rhythm, a key feature of language, and music, has received surprisingly little attention in songbirds. Investigating temporal periodicity in bird song has the potential to inform the relationship between neural mechanisms and behavioral output and can also provide insight into the biology and evolution of musicality. Here we present a method to analyze birdsong for an underlying rhythmic regularity. Using the intervals from one note onset to the next as input, we found for each bird an isochronous sequence of time stamps, a “signal-derived pulse,” or pulseS, of which a subset aligned with all note onsets of the bird's song. Fourier analysis corroborated these results. To determine whether this finding was just a byproduct of the duration of notes and intervals typical for zebra finches but not dependent on the individual duration of elements and the sequence in which they are sung, we compared natural songs to models of artificial songs. Note onsets of natural song deviated from the pulseS significantly less than those of artificial songs with randomized note and gap durations. Thus, male zebra finch song has the regularity required for a listener to extract a perceived pulse (pulseP), as yet untested. Strikingly, in our study, pulsesS that best fit note onsets often also coincided with the transitions between sub-note elements within complex notes, corresponding to neuromuscular gestures. Gesture durations often equaled one or more pulseS periods. This suggests that gesture duration constitutes the basic element of the temporal hierarchy of zebra finch song rhythm, an interesting parallel to the hierarchically structured components of regular rhythms in human music.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Norton
- AG Verhaltensbiologie, Freie Universität Berlin Berlin, Germany
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31
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Fuxjager MJ, Schuppe ER, Hoang J, Chew J, Shah M, Schlinger BA. Expression of 5α- and 5β-reductase in spinal cord and muscle of birds with different courtship repertoires. Front Zool 2016; 13:25. [PMID: 27293470 PMCID: PMC4901407 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-016-0156-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2016] [Accepted: 05/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Through the actions of one or more isoforms of the enzyme 5α-reductase in many male reproductive tissues, circulating testosterone (T) undergoes metabolic conversion into 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which binds to and activates androgen receptors (AR) with greater potency than T. In birds, T is also subject to local inactivation into 5β-DHT by the enzyme 5β-reductase. Male golden-collared manakins perform an androgen-dependent and physically elaborate courtship display, and these birds express androgen receptors in skeletal muscles and spinal cord at levels far greater than those expressed in species with more limited courtship routines, including male zebra finches. To determine if local T metabolism facilitates or impedes activation of male manakin courtship, we examined expression of two isoforms of 5α-reductase, as well as 5β-reductase, in forelimb muscles and spinal cords of males and females of the two aforementioned species. Results We found that all enzymes were expressed in all tissues, with patterns that partially predict a functional role for 5α-reductase in these birds, especially in both muscle and spinal cord of male manakins. Moreover, we found that 5β-reductase was markedly different between species, with far lower levels in golden-collared manakins, compared to zebra finches. Thus, modification to neuromuscular deactivation of T may also play a functional role in adaptive behavioral modulation. Conclusions Given that such a role for 5α-reductase in androgen-sensitive mammalian skeletal muscle is in dispute, our data suggest that, in birds, local metabolism may play a key role in providing active androgenic substrates to peripheral neuromuscular systems. Similarly, we provide the first evidence that 5β-reductase is expressed broadly through an organism and may be an important factor that regulates androgenic modulation of neuromuscular functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, 228 Winston Hall, Winston-Salem, NC 27109 USA ; Center for Molecular Communication and Signaling, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, USA
| | - Eric R Schuppe
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, 228 Winston Hall, Winston-Salem, NC 27109 USA
| | - John Hoang
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Jennifer Chew
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Mital Shah
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Barney A Schlinger
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA ; Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, USA ; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA ; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancon, Republic of Panama
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32
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Miani A. Sexual arousal and rhythmic synchronization: A possible effect of vasopressin. Med Hypotheses 2016; 93:122-5. [PMID: 27372870 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2016.05.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Music is ubiquitous. Yet, its biological relevance is still an ongoing debate. Supporting the view that music had an ancestral role in courtship displays, a pilot study presented here provides preliminary evidence on the link between music and sexual selection. The underlying hypothesis is based on the fact that the sexually dimorphic neuropeptide vasopressin has its receptors in the part of the brain involved in music and dance performance (the basal ganglia), and its concentrations rise during sexual arousal in men. In addition, music, dance, and courtship phenotypes seem to be in part regulated by vasopressin and its genes. Hence, to test this hypothesis, a rhythmic synchronization task was employed here on one male subject during sexual arousal. Results revealed a significant effect of sexual arousal on rhythm synchronization. This is the first report that empirically supports the hypothesis on the role of music in sexual selection. Further studies are clearly required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Miani
- Center for Semiotics, Aarhus University, Jens Chr. Skous Vej 2, bygning 1485, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
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33
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Waltzing Taeniopygia: integration of courtship song and dance in the domesticated Australian zebra finch. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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34
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Akçay Ç, Anderson RC, Nowicki S, Beecher MD, Searcy WA. Quiet threats: soft song as an aggressive signal in birds. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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35
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The songbird as a percussionist: syntactic rules for non-vocal sound and song production in Java sparrows. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0124876. [PMID: 25992841 PMCID: PMC4438869 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2014] [Accepted: 03/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Music and dance are two remarkable human characteristics that are closely related. Communication through integrated vocal and motional signals is also common in the courtship displays of birds. The contribution of songbird studies to our understanding of vocal learning has already shed some light on the cognitive underpinnings of musical ability. Moreover, recent pioneering research has begun to show how animals can synchronize their behaviors with external stimuli, like metronome beats. However, few studies have applied such perspectives to unraveling how animals can integrate multimodal communicative signals that have natural functions. Additionally, studies have rarely asked how well these behaviors are learned. With this in mind, here we cast a spotlight on an unusual animal behavior: non-vocal sound production associated with singing in the Java sparrow (Lonchura oryzivora), a songbird. We show that male Java sparrows coordinate their bill-click sounds with the syntax of their song-note sequences, similar to percussionists. Analysis showed that they produced clicks frequently toward the beginning of songs and before/after specific song notes. We also show that bill-clicking patterns are similar between social fathers and their sons, suggesting that these behaviors might be learned from models or linked to learning-based vocalizations. Individuals untutored by conspecifics also exhibited stereotypical bill-clicking patterns in relation to song-note sequence, indicating that while the production of bill clicking itself is intrinsic, its syncopation appears to develop with songs. This paints an intriguing picture in which non-vocal sounds are integrated with vocal courtship signals in a songbird, a model that we expect will contribute to the further understanding of multimodal communication.
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36
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Ware E, Saunders DR, Troje NF. The influence of motion quality on responses towards video playback stimuli. Biol Open 2015; 4:803-11. [PMID: 25964659 PMCID: PMC4571084 DOI: 10.1242/bio.011270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual motion, a critical cue in communication, can be manipulated and studied using video playback methods. A primary concern for the video playback researcher is the degree to which objects presented on video appear natural to the non-human subject. Here we argue that the quality of motion cues on video, as determined by the video's image presentation rate (IPR), are of particular importance in determining a subject's social response behaviour. We present an experiment testing the effect of variations in IPR on pigeon (Columbia livia) response behaviour towards video images of courting opposite sex partners. Male and female pigeons were presented with three video playback stimuli, each containing a different social partner. Each stimulus was then modified to appear at one of three IPRs: 15, 30 or 60 progressive (p) frames per second. The results showed that courtship behaviour became significantly longer in duration as IPR increased. This finding implies that the IPR significantly affects the perceived quality of motion cues impacting social behaviour. In males we found that the duration of courtship also depended on the social partner viewed and that this effect interacted with the effects of IPR on behaviour. Specifically, the effect of social partner reached statistical significance only when the stimuli were displayed at 60 p, demonstrating the potential for erroneous results when insufficient IPRs are used. In addition to demonstrating the importance of IPR in video playback experiments, these findings help to highlight and describe the role of visual motion processing in communication behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Ware
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, 99 University Ave, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, 99 University Ave, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada Wellesley Institute, 10 Alcorn Ave #300, Toronto, ON M4V 3B1, Canada
| | - Daniel R Saunders
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, 99 University Ave, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada Centre for Brain/Mind Sciences, University of Trento, via Calepina, 14-38122 Trento, Italy
| | - Nikolaus F Troje
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, 99 University Ave, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, 99 University Ave, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada Department of Biology, Queen's University, 99 University Ave, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, 180 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M5G 1Z8, Canada
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Fuxjager MJ, Eaton J, Lindsay WR, Salwiczek LH, Rensel MA, Barske J, Sorenson L, Day LB, Schlinger BA. Evolutionary patterns of adaptive acrobatics and physical performance predict expression profiles of androgen receptor - but not oestrogen receptor - in the forelimb musculature. Funct Ecol 2015; 29:1197-1208. [PMID: 26538789 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
1. Superior physical competence is vital to the adaptive behavioral routines of many animals, particularly those that engage in elaborate socio-sexual displays. How such traits evolve across species remains unclear. 2. Recent work suggests that activation of sex steroid receptors in neuromuscular systems is necessary for the fine motor skills needed to execute physically elaborate displays. Thus, using passerine birds as models, we test whether interspecific variation in display complexity predicts species differences in the abundance of androgen and estrogen receptors (AR and ERα) expressed in the forelimb musculature and spinal cord. 3. We find that small-scale evolutionary patterns in physical display complexity positively predict expression of the AR in the main muscles that lift and retract the wings. No such relationship is detected in the spinal cord, and we do not find a correlation between display behavior and neuromuscular expression of ERα. Also, we find that AR expression levels in different androgen targets throughout the body - namely the wing muscles, spinal cord, and testes - are not necessarily correlated, providing evidence that evolutionary forces may drive AR expression in a tissue-specific manner. 4. These results suggest co-evolution between the physical prowess necessary for display performance and levels of AR expression in avian forelimb muscles. Moreover, this relationship appears to be specific to muscle and AR-mediated, but not ERα-mediated, signaling. 5. Given that prior work suggests that activation of muscular AR is a necessary component of physical display performance, our current data support the hypothesis that sexual selection shapes levels of AR expressed in the forelimb skeletal muscles to help drive the evolution of adaptive motor abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, 228 Winston Hall, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA ; Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA ; Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Joy Eaton
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Willow R Lindsay
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Lucie H Salwiczek
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA ; Department of Behavioral Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Michelle A Rensel
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Julia Barske
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Laurie Sorenson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Lainy B Day
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Barney A Schlinger
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA ; Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA ; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA ; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado Postal 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
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Male mate preferences in mutual mate choice: finches modulate their songs across and within male-female interactions. Anim Behav 2014; 97:1-12. [PMID: 25242817 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Male songbirds use song to advertise their attractiveness as potential mates, and the properties of those songs have a powerful influence on female mate preferences. One idea is that males may exert themselves maximally in each song performance, consistent with female evaluation and formation of mate preferences being the primary contributors to mate choice. Alternatively, males may modulate their song behaviour to different degrees in the presence of different females, consistent with both male and female mate preferences contributing to mutual mate choice. Here we consider whether male Bengalese finches, Lonchura striata domestica, express mate preferences at the level of individual females, and whether those preferences are manifest as changes in song behaviour that are sufficient to influence female mate choice. We tested this idea by recording songs performed by individual unmated males during a series of 1 h interactions with each of many unmated females. Across recording sessions, males systematically varied both the quantity and the quality of the songs that they performed to different females. Males also varied their song properties throughout the course of each interaction, and behavioural tests using female birds revealed that songs performed at the onset of each interaction were significantly more attractive than songs performed by the same male later during the same interaction. This demonstration of context-specific variation in the properties of male reproductive signals and a role for that variation in shaping female mate preference reveals that male mate preferences play an important role in mutual mate choice in this species. Because these birds thrive so well in the laboratory and are so amenable to observation and experimentation across generations, these results yield a new model system that may prove especially advantageous in disentangling the role of male and female mate preferences in shaping mutual mate choice and its long-term benefits or consequences.
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Fink B, Weege B, Neave N, Ried B, Cardoso Do Lago O. Female Perceptions of Male Body Movements. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-0314-6_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
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Abstract
Coordinating movements to music is often considered a uniquely human skill. A new study dispels this notion by showing that male Australian lyrebirds also perform 'dance' moves which are predictably matched with specific songs in their display routines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raoul A Mulder
- Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
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Dalziell AH, Peters RA, Cockburn A, Dorland AD, Maisey AC, Magrath RD. Dance choreography is coordinated with song repertoire in a complex avian display. Curr Biol 2013; 23:1132-5. [PMID: 23746637 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2013.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2013] [Revised: 05/03/2013] [Accepted: 05/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
All human cultures have music and dance, and the two activities are so closely integrated that many languages use just one word to describe both. Recent research points to a deep cognitive connection between music and dance-like movements in humans, fueling speculation that music and dance have coevolved and prompting the need for studies of audiovisual displays in other animals. However, little is known about how nonhuman animals integrate acoustic and movement display components. One striking property of human displays is that performers coordinate dance with music by matching types of dance movements with types of music, as when dancers waltz to waltz music. Here, we show that a bird also temporally coordinates a repertoire of song types with a repertoire of dance-like movements. During displays, male superb lyrebirds (Menura novaehollandiae) sing four different song types, matching each with a unique set of movements and delivering song and dance types in a predictable sequence. Crucially, display movements are both unnecessary for the production of sound and voluntary, because males sometimes sing without dancing. Thus, the coordination of independently produced repertoires of acoustic and movement signals is not a uniquely human trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia H Dalziell
- Division of Evolution, Ecology, and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.
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Düring DN, Ziegler A, Thompson CK, Ziegler A, Faber C, Müller J, Scharff C, Elemans CPH. The songbird syrinx morphome: a three-dimensional, high-resolution, interactive morphological map of the zebra finch vocal organ. BMC Biol 2013; 11:1. [PMID: 23294804 PMCID: PMC3539882 DOI: 10.1186/1741-7007-11-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2012] [Accepted: 01/08/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Like human infants, songbirds learn their species-specific vocalizations through imitation learning. The birdsong system has emerged as a widely used experimental animal model for understanding the underlying neural mechanisms responsible for vocal production learning. However, how neural impulses are translated into the precise motor behavior of the complex vocal organ (syrinx) to create song is poorly understood. First and foremost, we lack a detailed understanding of syringeal morphology. RESULTS To fill this gap we combined non-invasive (high-field magnetic resonance imaging and micro-computed tomography) and invasive techniques (histology and micro-dissection) to construct the annotated high-resolution three-dimensional dataset, or morphome, of the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) syrinx. We identified and annotated syringeal cartilage, bone and musculature in situ in unprecedented detail. We provide interactive three-dimensional models that greatly improve the communication of complex morphological data and our understanding of syringeal function in general. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that the syringeal skeleton is optimized for low weight driven by physiological constraints on song production. The present refinement of muscle organization and identity elucidates how apposed muscles actuate different syringeal elements. Our dataset allows for more precise predictions about muscle co-activation and synergies and has important implications for muscle activity and stimulation experiments. We also demonstrate how the syrinx can be stabilized during song to reduce mechanical noise and, as such, enhance repetitive execution of stereotypic motor patterns. In addition, we identify a cartilaginous structure suited to play a crucial role in the uncoupling of sound frequency and amplitude control, which permits a novel explanation of the evolutionary success of songbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel N Düring
- Verhaltensbiologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustrasse 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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Hilliard AT, Miller JE, Horvath S, White SA. Distinct neurogenomic states in basal ganglia subregions relate differently to singing behavior in songbirds. PLoS Comput Biol 2012; 8:e1002773. [PMID: 23144607 PMCID: PMC3493463 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2012] [Accepted: 09/07/2012] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Both avian and mammalian basal ganglia are involved in voluntary motor control. In birds, such movements include hopping, perching and flying. Two organizational features that distinguish the songbird basal ganglia are that striatal and pallidal neurons are intermingled, and that neurons dedicated to vocal-motor function are clustered together in a dense cell group known as area X that sits within the surrounding striato-pallidum. This specification allowed us to perform molecular profiling of two striato-pallidal subregions, comparing transcriptional patterns in tissue dedicated to vocal-motor function (area X) to those in tissue that contains similar cell types but supports non-vocal behaviors: the striato-pallidum ventral to area X (VSP), our focus here. Since any behavior is likely underpinned by the coordinated actions of many molecules, we constructed gene co-expression networks from microarray data to study large-scale transcriptional patterns in both subregions. Our goal was to investigate any relationship between VSP network structure and singing and identify gene co-expression groups, or modules, found in the VSP but not area X. We observed mild, but surprising, relationships between VSP modules and song spectral features, and found a group of four VSP modules that were highly specific to the region. These modules were unrelated to singing, but were composed of genes involved in many of the same biological processes as those we previously observed in area X-specific singing-related modules. The VSP-specific modules were also enriched for processes disrupted in Parkinson's and Huntington's Diseases. Our results suggest that the activation/inhibition of a single pathway is not sufficient to functionally specify area X versus the VSP and support the notion that molecular processes are not in and of themselves specialized for behavior. Instead, unique interactions between molecular pathways create functional specificity in particular brain regions during distinct behavioral states. Understanding how gene transcription relates to behavior is challenging. Learned vocal-motor behavior is a complex trait that represents the output of multiple converging genes, pathways, and patterns of neural activity. Here, we applied a systems analytical approach to determine how thousands of genes change their expression levels simultaneously in a region of the vertebrate brain important for vocal-motor function, the basal ganglia, during a specific vocal-motor behavior, singing. We used the zebra finch species of songbird based on similarities between song learning/production and speech, and because they possess a set of brain subregions dedicated to singing. Microarrays were used to measure gene expression levels in one such song-dedicated region and in an adjacent motor area that is not thought to play a role in vocal function. This allowed us to address the question of whether distinct gene co-expression patterns could be found in each area. We found that each area contained unique patterns of transcriptional co-activity, but there were also unexpected overlaps. We conclude that the particular behaviors (singing versus non-vocal behaviors) supported by these subregions depend on the particular sets of interactions between molecular pathways that occur in each subregion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin T Hilliard
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Riede T, Schilling N, Goller F. The acoustic effect of vocal tract adjustments in zebra finches. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2012; 199:57-69. [PMID: 23085986 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-012-0768-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2012] [Revised: 10/04/2012] [Accepted: 10/05/2012] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Vocal production in songbirds requires the control of the respiratory system, the syrinx as sound source and the vocal tract as acoustic filter. Vocal tract movements consist of beak, tongue and hyoid movements, which change the volume of the oropharyngeal-esophageal cavity (OEC), glottal movements and tracheal length changes. The respective contributions of each movement to filter properties are not completely understood, but the effects of this filtering are thought to be very important for acoustic communication in birds. One of the most striking movements of the upper vocal tract during vocal behavior in songbirds involves the OEC. This study measured the acoustic effect of OEC adjustments in zebra finches by comparing resonance acoustics between an utterance with OEC expansion (calls) and a similar utterance without OEC expansion (respiratory sounds induced by a bilateral syringeal denervation). X-ray cineradiography confirmed the presence of an OEC motor pattern during song and call production, and a custom-built Hall-effect collar system confirmed that OEC expansion movements were not present during respiratory sounds. The spectral emphasis during zebra finch call production ranging between 2.5 and 5 kHz was not present during respiratory sounds, indicating strongly that it can be attributed to the OEC expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Riede
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
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Verzijden MN, ten Cate C, Servedio MR, Kozak GM, Boughman JW, Svensson EI. The impact of learning on sexual selection and speciation. Trends Ecol Evol 2012; 27:511-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2012.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 202] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2011] [Revised: 05/11/2012] [Accepted: 05/17/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Wild JM, Krützfeldt NEO. Trigeminal and telencephalic projections to jaw and other upper vocal tract premotor neurons in songbirds: sensorimotor circuitry for beak movements during singing. J Comp Neurol 2012; 520:590-605. [PMID: 21858818 DOI: 10.1002/cne.22752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
During singing in songbirds, the extent of beak opening, like the extent of mouth opening in human singers, is partially correlated with the fundamental frequency of the sounds emitted. Since song in songbirds is under the control of "the song system" (a collection of interconnected forebrain nuclei dedicated to the learning and production of song), it might be expected that beak movements during singing would also be controlled by this system. However, direct neural connections between the telencephalic output of the song system and beak muscle motor neurons in the brainstem are conspicuous by their absence, leaving unresolved the question of how beak movements are affected during singing. By using standard tract tracing methods, we sought to answer this question by defining beak premotor neurons and examining their afferent projections. In the caudal medulla, jaw premotor cell bodies were located adjacent to the terminal field of the output of the song system, into which many premotor neurons extended their dendrites. The premotor neurons also received a novel input from the trigeminal ganglion and an overlapping input from a lateral arcopallial component of a trigeminal sensorimotor circuit that traverses the forebrain. The ganglionic input in songbirds, which is not present in doves and pigeons that vocalize with a closed beak, may modulate the activity of beak premotor neurons in concert with the output of the song system. These inputs to jaw premotor neurons could, together, affect beak movements as a means of modulating filter properties of the upper vocal tract during singing.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Wild
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medical and Health Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
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Vernaleo BA, Dooling RJ. Relative salience of envelope and fine structure cues in zebra finch song. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2011; 129:3373-83. [PMID: 21568438 PMCID: PMC3108398 DOI: 10.1121/1.3560121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2010] [Revised: 02/08/2011] [Accepted: 02/08/2011] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Zebra finches produce a learned song that is rich in harmonic structure and highly stereotyped. More is generally known about how birds learn and produce this song than how they perceive it. Here, zebra finches were trained with operant techniques to discriminate changes in natural and synthetic song motifs. Results show that zebra finches are quite insensitive to changes to the overall envelope of the motif since they were unable to discriminate more than a doubling in inter-syllable interval durations. By contrast, they were quite sensitive to changes in individual syllables. A series of tests with synthetic song syllables, including some made of frozen noise and Schroeder harmonic complexes, showed that birds used a suite of acoustic cues in normal listening but they could also distinguish among syllables simply on the basis of the temporal fine structure in the waveform. Thus, while syllable perception is maintained by multiple redundant cues, temporal fine structure features alone are sufficient for syllable discrimination and may be more important for communication than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth A Vernaleo
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA.
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