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Koch TMI, Marks ES, Roberts TF. AVN: A Deep Learning Approach for the Analysis of Birdsong. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.10.593561. [PMID: 39229184 PMCID: PMC11370480 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.10.593561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
Deep learning tools for behavior analysis have enabled important new insights and discoveries in neuroscience. Yet, they often compromise interpretability and generalizability for performance, making it difficult to quantitively compare phenotypes across datasets and research groups. We developed a novel deep learning-based behavior analysis pipeline, Avian Vocalization Network (AVN), for the learned vocalizations of the most extensively studied vocal learning model species - the zebra finch. AVN annotates songs with high accuracy across multiple animal colonies without the need for any additional training data and generates a comprehensive set of interpretable features to describe the syntax, timing, and acoustic properties of song. We use this feature set to compare song phenotypes across multiple research groups and experiments, and to predict a bird's stage in song development. Additionally, we have developed a novel method to measure song imitation that requires no additional training data for new comparisons or recording environments, and outperforms existing similarity scoring methods in its sensitivity and agreement with expert human judgements of song similarity. These tools are available through the open-source AVN python package and graphical application, which makes them accessible to researchers without any prior coding experience. Altogether, this behavior analysis toolkit stands to facilitate and accelerate the study of vocal behavior by enabling a standardized mapping of phenotypes and learning outcomes, thus helping scientists better link behavior to the underlying neural processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Therese M I Koch
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas TX, USA
| | - Ethan S Marks
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas TX, USA
| | - Todd F Roberts
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas TX, USA
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2
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Zandberg L, Morfi V, George JM, Clayton DF, Stowell D, Lachlan RF. Bird song comparison using deep learning trained from avian perceptual judgments. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1012329. [PMID: 39110762 PMCID: PMC11333001 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of bird song, a model system for animal communication and the neurobiology of learning, depends critically on making reliable, validated comparisons between the complex multidimensional syllables that are used in songs. However, most assessments of song similarity are based on human inspection of spectrograms, or computational methods developed from human intuitions. Using a novel automated operant conditioning system, we collected a large corpus of zebra finches' (Taeniopygia guttata) decisions about song syllable similarity. We use this dataset to compare and externally validate similarity algorithms in widely-used publicly available software (Raven, Sound Analysis Pro, Luscinia). Although these methods all perform better than chance, they do not closely emulate the avian assessments. We then introduce a novel deep learning method that can produce perceptual similarity judgements trained on such avian decisions. We find that this new method outperforms the established methods in accuracy and more closely approaches the avian assessments. Inconsistent (hence ambiguous) decisions are a common occurrence in animal behavioural data; we show that a modification of the deep learning training that accommodates these leads to the strongest performance. We argue this approach is the best way to validate methods to compare song similarity, that our dataset can be used to validate novel methods, and that the general approach can easily be extended to other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lies Zandberg
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Veronica Morfi
- Machine Listening Lab, Centre for Digital Music (C4DM), Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Julia M. George
- Department of Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - David F. Clayton
- Department of Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Dan Stowell
- Machine Listening Lab, Centre for Digital Music (C4DM), Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Cognitive Science and AI, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands
- Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Robert F. Lachlan
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
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3
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Heim F, Scharff C, Fisher SE, Riebel K, Ten Cate C. Auditory discrimination learning and acoustic cue weighing in female zebra finches with localized FoxP1 knockdowns. J Neurophysiol 2024; 131:950-963. [PMID: 38629163 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00228.2023] [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: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Rare disruptions of the transcription factor FOXP1 are implicated in a human neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by autism and/or intellectual disability with prominent problems in speech and language abilities. Avian orthologues of this transcription factor are evolutionarily conserved and highly expressed in specific regions of songbird brains, including areas associated with vocal production learning and auditory perception. Here, we investigated possible contributions of FoxP1 to song discrimination and auditory perception in juvenile and adult female zebra finches. They received lentiviral knockdowns of FoxP1 in one of two brain areas involved in auditory stimulus processing, HVC (proper name) or CMM (caudomedial mesopallium). Ninety-six females, distributed over different experimental and control groups were trained to discriminate between two stimulus songs in an operant Go/Nogo paradigm and subsequently tested with an array of stimuli. This made it possible to assess how well they recognized and categorized altered versions of training stimuli and whether localized FoxP1 knockdowns affected the role of different features during discrimination and categorization of song. Although FoxP1 expression was significantly reduced by the knockdowns, neither discrimination of the stimulus songs nor categorization of songs modified in pitch, sequential order of syllables or by reversed playback were affected. Subsequently, we analyzed the full dataset to assess the impact of the different stimulus manipulations for cue weighing in song discrimination. Our findings show that zebra finches rely on multiple parameters for song discrimination, but with relatively more prominent roles for spectral parameters and syllable sequencing as cues for song discrimination.NEW & NOTEWORTHY In humans, mutations of the transcription factor FoxP1 are implicated in speech and language problems. In songbirds, FoxP1 has been linked to male song learning and female preference strength. We found that FoxP1 knockdowns in female HVC and caudomedial mesopallium (CMM) did not alter song discrimination or categorization based on spectral and temporal information. However, this large dataset allowed to validate different cue weights for spectral over temporal information for song recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Heim
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics,Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Simon E Fisher
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics,Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Katharina Riebel
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Carel Ten Cate
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
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4
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James LS, Wang AS, Bertolo M, Sakata JT. Learning to pause: Fidelity of and biases in the developmental acquisition of gaps in the communicative signals of a songbird. Dev Sci 2023; 26:e13382. [PMID: 36861437 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
The temporal organization of sounds used in social contexts can provide information about signal function and evoke varying responses in listeners (receivers). For example, music is a universal and learned human behavior that is characterized by different rhythms and tempos that can evoke disparate responses in listeners. Similarly, birdsong is a social behavior in songbirds that is learned during critical periods in development and used to evoke physiological and behavioral responses in receivers. Recent investigations have begun to reveal the breadth of universal patterns in birdsong and their similarities to common patterns in speech and music, but relatively little is known about the degree to which biological predispositions and developmental experiences interact to shape the temporal patterning of birdsong. Here, we investigated how biological predispositions modulate the acquisition and production of an important temporal feature of birdsong, namely the duration of silent pauses ("gaps") between vocal elements ("syllables"). Through analyses of semi-naturally raised and experimentally tutored zebra finches, we observed that juvenile zebra finches imitate the durations of the silent gaps in their tutor's song. Further, when juveniles were experimentally tutored with stimuli containing a wide range of gap durations, we observed biases in the prevalence and stereotypy of gap durations. Together, these studies demonstrate how biological predispositions and developmental experiences differently affect distinct temporal features of birdsong and highlight similarities in developmental plasticity across birdsong, speech, and music. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: The temporal organization of learned acoustic patterns can be similar across human cultures and across species, suggesting biological predispositions in acquisition. We studied how biological predispositions and developmental experiences affect an important temporal feature of birdsong, namely the duration of silent intervals between vocal elements ("gaps"). Semi-naturally and experimentally tutored zebra finches imitated the durations of gaps in their tutor's song and displayed some biases in the learning and production of gap durations and in gap variability. These findings in the zebra finch provide parallels with the acquisition of temporal features of speech and music in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan S James
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Angela S Wang
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mila Bertolo
- Centre for Research in Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jon T Sakata
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre for Research in Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
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5
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Rege-Colt M, Oswald JN, De Weerdt J, Palacios-Alfaro JD, Austin M, Gagne E, Morán Villatoro JM, Sahley CT, Alvarado-Guerra G, May-Collado LJ. Whistle repertoire and structure reflect ecotype distinction of pantropical spotted dolphins in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13449. [PMID: 37596372 PMCID: PMC10439233 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40691-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The pantropical spotted dolphin in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) is found in two genetically and phenotypically diverged ecotypes, coastal and offshore. These habitats have distinct acoustic characteristics, which can lead to the evolution of distinct acoustic communication. Whistles are sounds widely used by dolphins to mediate species and individual recognition and social interactions. Here, we study the whistle acoustic structure and repertoire diversity of offshore and coastal pantropical spotted dolphins. Our results show that there is significantly more within- and across-group variation in whistle fundamental frequency between ecotypes than between offshore groups and between coastal groups. A Random Forest classification analysis performed with an accuracy of 83.99% and identified duration, peak and minimum frequency as the most informative variables for distinguishing between ecotypes. Overall, coastal spotted dolphins produced significantly shorter whistles that were significantly lower in frequency (peak, minimum and maximum, and start and end) than offshore dolphins. Ecotypes produced whistle repertoires that were similar in diversity, but different in contour composition, with the coastal ecotype producing more upsweep whistles than offshore dolphins. The results of this study suggest that acoustic adaptations to coastal and offshore environments could be important contributors to intraspecific variation of dolphin whistle repertoires.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julie N Oswald
- Scottish Oceans Institute, Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, KY168LB, UK
| | - Joelle De Weerdt
- Association ELI-S, Education, Liberté, Indépendance - Scientifique, Allée de Verdalle 39, 33470, Gujan-Mestras, France
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Maia Austin
- Biology Department, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Emma Gagne
- Biology Department, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | | | | | - Gilma Alvarado-Guerra
- Instituto para el Crecimiento Sostenible de la Empresa (ICSEM), C/Hogar Padre Vito Guarato, B1, San Salvador, El Salvador
| | - Laura J May-Collado
- Biology Department, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA.
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama, Panama.
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6
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Rivera M, Edwards JA, Hauber ME, Woolley SMN. Machine learning and statistical classification of birdsong link vocal acoustic features with phylogeny. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7076. [PMID: 37127781 PMCID: PMC10151348 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33825-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Birdsong is a longstanding model system for studying evolution and biodiversity. Here, we collected and analyzed high quality song recordings from seven species in the family Estrildidae. We measured the acoustic features of syllables and then used dimensionality reduction and machine learning classifiers to identify features that accurately assigned syllables to species. Species differences were captured by the first 3 principal components, corresponding to basic frequency, power distribution, and spectrotemporal features. We then identified the measured features underlying classification accuracy. We found that fundamental frequency, mean frequency, spectral flatness, and syllable duration were the most informative features for species identification. Next, we tested whether specific acoustic features of species' songs predicted phylogenetic distance. We found significant phylogenetic signal in syllable frequency features, but not in power distribution or spectrotemporal features. Results suggest that frequency features are more constrained by species' genetics than are other features, and are the best signal features for identifying species from song recordings. The absence of phylogenetic signal in power distribution and spectrotemporal features suggests that these song features are labile, reflecting learning processes and individual recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moises Rivera
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind, Brain, and Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Jacob A Edwards
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind, Brain, and Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Mark E Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Sarah M N Woolley
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind, Brain, and Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
- Zuckerman Institute at Columbia University, Jerome L. Greene Science Center, 3227 Broadway, L3.028, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
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7
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Zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) demonstrate cognitive flexibility in using phonology and sequence of syllables in auditory discrimination. Anim Cogn 2023:10.1007/s10071-023-01763-4. [PMID: 36934374 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-023-01763-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/20/2023]
Abstract
Zebra finches rely mainly on syllable phonology rather than on syllable sequence when they discriminate between two songs. However, they can also learn to discriminate two strings containing the same set of syllables by their sequence. How learning about the phonological characteristics of syllables and their sequence relate to each other and to the composition of the stimuli is still an open question. We compared whether and how the zebra finches' relative sensitivity for syllable phonology and syllable sequence depends on the differences between syllable strings. Two groups of zebra finches were trained in a Go-Left/Go-Right task to discriminate either between two strings in which each string contained a unique set of song syllables ('Different-syllables group') or two strings in which both strings contained the same set of syllables, but in a different sequential order ('Same-syllables group'). We assessed to what extent the birds in the two experimental groups attend to the spectral characteristics and the sequence of the syllables by measuring the responses to test strings consisting of spectral modifications or sequence changes. Our results showed no difference in the number of trials needed to discriminate strings consisting of either different or identical sets of syllables. Both experimental groups attended to changes in spectral features in a similar way, but the group for which both training strings consisted of the same set of syllables responded more strongly to changes in sequence than the group for which the training strings consisted of different sets of syllables. This outcome suggests the presence of an additional learning process to learn about syllable sequence when learning about syllable phonology is not sufficient to discriminate two strings. Our study thus demonstrates that the relative importance of syllable phonology and sequence depends on how these features vary among stimuli. This indicates cognitive flexibility in the acoustic features that songbirds might use in their song recognition.
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8
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9
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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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Jäckel D, Mortega KG, Brockmeyer U, Lehmann GUC, Voigt-Heucke SL. Unravelling the Stability of Nightingale Song Over Time and Space Using Open, Citizen Science and Shared Data. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.778610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Open science approaches enable and facilitate the investigation of many scientific questions in bioacoustics, such as studies on the temporal and spatial evolution of song, as in vocal dialects. In contrast to previous dialect studies, which mostly focused on songbird species with a small repertoire, here we studied the common nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos), a bird species with a complex and large repertoire. To study dialects on the population level in this species, we used recordings from four datasets: an open museum archive, a citizen science platform, a citizen science project, and shared recordings from academic researchers. We conducted to the date largest temporal and geographic dialect study of birdsong including recordings from 1930 to 2019 and from 13 European countries, with a geographical coverage of 2,652 km of linear distance. To examine temporal stability and spatial dialects, a catalog of 1,868 song types of common nightingales was created. Instead of dialects, we found a high degree of stability over time and space in both, the sub-categories of song and in the occurrence of song types. For example, the second most common song type in our datasets occurred over nine decades and across Europe. In our case study, open and citizen science data proved to be equivalent, and in some cases even better, than data shared by an academic research group. Based on our results, we conclude that the combination of diverse and open datasets was particularly useful to study the evolution of song in a bird species with a large repertoire.
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Williams H, Lachlan RF. Evidence for cumulative cultural evolution in bird song. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200322. [PMID: 34894731 PMCID: PMC8666912 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In studies of cumulative cultural evolution in non-human animals, the focus is most often on incremental changes that increase the efficacy of an existing form of socially learned behaviour, such as the refinement of migratory pathways. In this paper, we compare the songs of different species to describe patterns of evolution in the acoustic structure of bird songs, and explore the question of what building blocks might underlie cumulative cultural evolution of bird song using a comparative approach. We suggest that three steps occurred: first, imitation of independent sounds, or notes, via social learning; second, the formation of categories of note types; and third, assembling note types into sequences with defined structures. Simple sequences can then be repeated to form simple songs or concatenated with other sequences to form segmented songs, increasing complexity. Variant forms of both the notes and the sequencing rules may then arise due to copy errors and innovation. Some variants may become established in the population because of learning biases or selection, increasing signal efficiency, or because of cultural drift. Cumulative cultural evolution of bird songs thus arises from cognitive processes such as vocal imitation, categorization during memorization and learning biases applied to basic acoustic building blocks. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The emergence of collective knowledge and cumulative culture in animals, humans and machines'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Williams
- Biology Department, Williams College, Williamstown, MA 01267, USA
| | - Robert F. Lachlan
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London, London TW20 0EX, UK
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12
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Araguas A, Guellaï B, Gauthier P, Richer F, Montone G, Chopin A, Derégnaucourt S. Design of a robotic zebra finch for experimental studies on developmental song learning. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274312. [PMID: 35048975 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Birdsong learning has been consolidated as the model system of choice for exploring the biological substrates of vocal learning. In the Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata), only males sing and they develop their song during a sensitive period in early life. Different experimental procedures have been used in the laboratory to train a young finch to learn a song. So far, the best method to get a faithful imitation is to keep a young bird singly with an adult male. Here we present the different characteristics of a robotic zebra finch that was developed with the goal to be used as a song tutor. The robot is morphologically similar to a real-size finch: it can produce movements and sounds contingently to the behaviours of a live bird. We present preliminary results on song imitation, and other possible applications beyond the scope of developmental song learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Araguas
- Laboratoire Ethologie Cognition Développement, Université Paris Nanterre, Université Paris Lumières, Nanterre, France
| | - Bahia Guellaï
- Laboratoire Ethologie Cognition Développement, Université Paris Nanterre, Université Paris Lumières, Nanterre, France.,Institut Universitaire de France, CNRS UMR 7222, Sorbonne Université, France
| | - Philippe Gauthier
- Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique, CNRS UMR 7222, Sorbonne Université, France
| | - Florian Richer
- Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique, CNRS UMR 7222, Sorbonne Université, France
| | - Guglielmo Montone
- Laboratoire Psychologie de la Perception, CNRS UMR 8242, Université Paris Descartes, France
| | - Adrien Chopin
- Sorbonne Université, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Sébastien Derégnaucourt
- Laboratoire Ethologie Cognition Développement, Université Paris Nanterre, Université Paris Lumières, Nanterre, France.,Institut Universitaire de France, CNRS UMR 7222, Sorbonne Université, France
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13
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Measuring context dependency in birdsong using artificial neural networks. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009707. [PMID: 34962915 PMCID: PMC8746767 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Context dependency is a key feature in sequential structures of human language, which requires reference between words far apart in the produced sequence. Assessing how long the past context has an effect on the current status provides crucial information to understand the mechanism for complex sequential behaviors. Birdsongs serve as a representative model for studying the context dependency in sequential signals produced by non-human animals, while previous reports were upper-bounded by methodological limitations. Here, we newly estimated the context dependency in birdsongs in a more scalable way using a modern neural-network-based language model whose accessible context length is sufficiently long. The detected context dependency was beyond the order of traditional Markovian models of birdsong, but was consistent with previous experimental investigations. We also studied the relation between the assumed/auto-detected vocabulary size of birdsong (i.e., fine- vs. coarse-grained syllable classifications) and the context dependency. It turned out that the larger vocabulary (or the more fine-grained classification) is assumed, the shorter context dependency is detected.
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14
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Varkevisser JM, Simon R, Mendoza E, How M, van Hijlkema I, Jin R, Liang Q, Scharff C, Halfwerk WH, Riebel K. Adding colour-realistic video images to audio playbacks increases stimulus engagement but does not enhance vocal learning in zebra finches. Anim Cogn 2021; 25:249-274. [PMID: 34405288 PMCID: PMC8940817 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-021-01547-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Bird song and human speech are learned early in life and for both cases engagement with live social tutors generally leads to better learning outcomes than passive audio-only exposure. Real-world tutor–tutee relations are normally not uni- but multimodal and observations suggest that visual cues related to sound production might enhance vocal learning. We tested this hypothesis by pairing appropriate, colour-realistic, high frame-rate videos of a singing adult male zebra finch tutor with song playbacks and presenting these stimuli to juvenile zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Juveniles exposed to song playbacks combined with video presentation of a singing bird approached the stimulus more often and spent more time close to it than juveniles exposed to audio playback only or audio playback combined with pixelated and time-reversed videos. However, higher engagement with the realistic audio–visual stimuli was not predictive of better song learning. Thus, although multimodality increased stimulus engagement and biologically relevant video content was more salient than colour and movement equivalent videos, the higher engagement with the realistic audio–visual stimuli did not lead to enhanced vocal learning. Whether the lack of three-dimensionality of a video tutor and/or the lack of meaningful social interaction make them less suitable for facilitating song learning than audio–visual exposure to a live tutor remains to be tested.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ralph Simon
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Department of Ecological Science, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Nuremberg Zoo, Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Ezequiel Mendoza
- Institut für Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin How
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Idse van Hijlkema
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Rozanda Jin
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Qiaoyi Liang
- Evolution of Sensory Systems, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | | | - Wouter H Halfwerk
- Department of Ecological Science, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Katharina Riebel
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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15
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16
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Balanced imitation sustains song culture in zebra finches. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2562. [PMID: 33963187 PMCID: PMC8105409 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22852-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Songbirds acquire songs by imitation, as humans do speech. Although imitation should drive convergence within a group and divergence through drift between groups, zebra finch songs sustain high diversity within a colony, but mild variation across colonies. We investigated this phenomenon by analyzing vocal learning statistics in 160 tutor-pupil pairs from a large breeding colony. Song imitation is persistently accurate in some families, but poor in others. This is not attributed to genetic differences, as fostered pupils copied their tutors’ songs as accurately or poorly as biological pupils. Rather, pupils of tutors with low song diversity make more improvisations compared to pupils of tutors with high song diversity. We suggest that a frequency dependent balanced imitation prevents extinction of rare song elements and overabundance of common ones, promoting repertoire diversity within groups, while constraining drift across groups, which together prevents the collapse of vocal culture into either complete uniformity or chaos. Studying how songbirds learn songs can shed light on the development of human speech. An analysis of 160 tutor-pupil zebra finch pairs suggests that frequency dependent balanced imitation prevents the extinction of rare song elements and the overabundance of common ones, promoting song diversity within groups and species recognition across groups.
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17
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Le Maguer L, Derégnaucourt S, Geberzahn N. Female preference for artificial song dialects in the zebra finch (
Taeniopygia guttata
). Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucille Le Maguer
- Laboratoire Éthologie Cognition Développement Université Paris Nanterre Nanterre Cedex France
- Université Paris Lumières Paris France
| | - Sébastien Derégnaucourt
- Laboratoire Éthologie Cognition Développement Université Paris Nanterre Nanterre Cedex France
- Université Paris Lumières Paris France
- Institut Universitaire de France Paris France
| | - Nicole Geberzahn
- Laboratoire Éthologie Cognition Développement Université Paris Nanterre Nanterre Cedex France
- Université Paris Lumières Paris France
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18
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Fishbein AR, Prior NH, Brown JA, Ball GF, Dooling RJ. Discrimination of natural acoustic variation in vocal signals. Sci Rep 2021; 11:916. [PMID: 33441711 PMCID: PMC7807010 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79641-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies of acoustic communication often focus on the categories and units of vocalizations, but subtle variation also occurs in how these signals are uttered. In human speech, it is not only phonemes and words that carry information but also the timbre, intonation, and stress of how speech sounds are delivered (often referred to as "paralinguistic content"). In non-human animals, variation across utterances of vocal signals also carries behaviorally relevant information across taxa. However, the discriminability of these cues has been rarely tested in a psychophysical paradigm. Here, we focus on acoustic communication in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), a songbird species in which the male produces a single stereotyped motif repeatedly in song bouts. These motif renditions, like the song repetitions of many birds, sound very similar to the casual human listener. In this study, we show that zebra finches can easily discriminate between the renditions, even at the level of single song syllables, much as humans can discriminate renditions of speech sounds. These results support the notion that sensitivity to fine acoustic details may be a primary channel of information in zebra finch song, as well as a shared, foundational property of vocal communication systems across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam R. Fishbein
- grid.164295.d0000 0001 0941 7177Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Biology-Psychology Bldg., 4094 Campus Dr., College Park, MD 20742 USA ,grid.164295.d0000 0001 0941 7177Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD USA
| | - Nora H. Prior
- grid.164295.d0000 0001 0941 7177Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Biology-Psychology Bldg., 4094 Campus Dr., College Park, MD 20742 USA ,grid.164295.d0000 0001 0941 7177Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD USA
| | - Jane A. Brown
- grid.164295.d0000 0001 0941 7177Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Biology-Psychology Bldg., 4094 Campus Dr., College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Gregory F. Ball
- grid.164295.d0000 0001 0941 7177Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Biology-Psychology Bldg., 4094 Campus Dr., College Park, MD 20742 USA ,grid.164295.d0000 0001 0941 7177Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD USA
| | - Robert J. Dooling
- grid.164295.d0000 0001 0941 7177Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Biology-Psychology Bldg., 4094 Campus Dr., College Park, MD 20742 USA ,grid.164295.d0000 0001 0941 7177Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD USA
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19
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Roeske TC, Tchernichovski O, Poeppel D, Jacoby N. Categorical Rhythms Are Shared between Songbirds and Humans. Curr Biol 2020; 30:3544-3555.e6. [PMID: 32707062 PMCID: PMC7511425 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.06.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Rhythm is a prominent feature of music. Of the infinite possible ways of organizing events in time, musical rhythms are almost always distributed categorically. Such categories can facilitate the transmission of culture-a feature that songbirds and humans share. We compared rhythms of live performances of music to rhythms of wild thrush nightingale and domestic zebra finch songs. In nightingales, but not in zebra finches, we found universal rhythm categories, with patterns that were surprisingly similar to those of music. Isochronous 1:1 rhythms were similarly common. Interestingly, a bias toward small ratios (around 1:2 to 1:3), which is highly abundant in music, was observed also in thrush nightingale songs. Within that range, however, there was no statistically significant bias toward exact integer ratios (1:2 or 1:3) in the birds. High-ratio rhythms were abundant in the nightingale song and are structurally similar to fusion rhythms (ornaments) in music. In both species, preferred rhythms remained invariant over extended ranges of tempos, indicating natural categories. The number of rhythm categories decreased at higher tempos, with a threshold above which rhythm became highly stereotyped. In thrush nightingales, this threshold occurred at a tempo twice faster than in humans, indicating weaker structural constraints and a remarkable motor proficiency. Together, the results suggest that categorical rhythms reflect similar constraints on learning motor skills across species. The saliency of categorical rhythms across humans and thrush nightingales suggests that they promote, or emerge from, the cultural transmission of learned vocalizations. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina C Roeske
- Music Department, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Grueneburgweg 14, 60322 Frankfurt, Germany; Department of Psychology, Hunter College, Hunter North 642, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Ofer Tchernichovski
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, Hunter North 642, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; The CUNY Graduate Center, 365 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| | - David Poeppel
- Neuroscience Department, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Grueneburgweg 14, 60322 Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Nori Jacoby
- Research Group Computational Auditory Perception, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Grueneburgweg 14, 60322 Frankfurt, Germany; The Center for Science and Society, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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20
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James LS, Davies R, Mori C, Wada K, Sakata JT. Manipulations of sensory experiences during development reveal mechanisms underlying vocal learning biases in zebra finches. Dev Neurobiol 2020; 80:132-146. [PMID: 32330360 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Biological predispositions in learning can bias and constrain the cultural evolution of social and communicative behaviors (e.g., speech and birdsong), and lead to the emergence of behavioral and cultural "universals." For example, surveys of laboratory and wild populations of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) document consistent patterning of vocal elements ("syllables") with respect to their acoustic properties (e.g., duration, mean frequency). Furthermore, such universal patterns are also produced by birds that are experimentally tutored with songs containing randomly sequenced syllables ("tutored birds"). Despite extensive demonstrations of learning biases, much remains to be uncovered about the nature of biological predispositions that bias song learning and production in songbirds. Here, we examined the degree to which "innate" auditory templates and/or biases in vocal motor production contribute to vocal learning biases and production in zebra finches. Such contributions can be revealed by examining acoustic patterns in the songs of birds raised without sensory exposure to song ("untutored birds") or of birds that are unable to hear from early in development ("early-deafened birds"). We observed that untutored zebra finches and early-deafened zebra finches produce songs with positional variation in some acoustic features (e.g., mean frequency) that resemble universal patterns observed in tutored birds. Similar to tutored birds, early-deafened birds also produced song motifs with alternation in acoustic features across adjacent syllables. That universal acoustic patterns are observed in the songs of both untutored and early-deafened birds highlights the contribution motor production biases to the emergence of universals in culturally transmitted behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan S James
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre for Research in Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ronald Davies
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Chihiro Mori
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Wada
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.,Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Jon T Sakata
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre for Research in Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Center for Studies of Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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21
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22
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Fishbein AR, Idsardi WJ, Ball GF, Dooling RJ. Sound sequences in birdsong: how much do birds really care? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 375:20190044. [PMID: 31735149 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The complex and melodic nature of many birds' songs has raised interest in potential parallels between avian vocal sequences and human speech. The similarities between birdsong and speech in production and learning are well established, but surprisingly little is known about how birds perceive song sequences. One popular laboratory songbird, the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), has recently attracted attention as an avian model for human speech, in part because the male learns to produce the individual elements in its song motif in a fixed sequence. But psychoacoustic evidence shows that adult zebra finches are relatively insensitive to the sequential features of song syllables. Instead, zebra finches and other birds seem to be exquisitely sensitive to the acoustic details of individual syllables to a degree that is beyond human hearing capacity. Based on these findings, we present a finite-state model of zebra finch perception of song syllable sequences and discuss the rich informational capacity of their vocal system. Furthermore, we highlight the abilities of budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus), a parrot species, to hear sequential features better than zebra finches and suggest that neurophysiological investigations comparing these species could prove fruitful for uncovering neural mechanisms for auditory sequence perception in human speech. This article is part of the theme issue 'What can animal communication teach us about human language?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam R Fishbein
- Psychology Department, University of Maryland, 4094 Campus Drive, College Park, MD 20742, USA.,Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - William J Idsardi
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.,Linguistics Department, University of Maryland, 1401 Marie Mount Hall, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Gregory F Ball
- Psychology Department, University of Maryland, 4094 Campus Drive, College Park, MD 20742, USA.,Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Robert J Dooling
- Psychology Department, University of Maryland, 4094 Campus Drive, College Park, MD 20742, USA.,Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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23
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Mcloughlin MP, Stewart R, McElligott AG. Automated bioacoustics: methods in ecology and conservation and their potential for animal welfare monitoring. J R Soc Interface 2019; 16:20190225. [PMID: 31213168 PMCID: PMC6597774 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2019.0225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Vocalizations carry emotional, physiological and individual information. This suggests that they may serve as potentially useful indicators for inferring animal welfare. At the same time, automated methods for analysing and classifying sound have developed rapidly, particularly in the fields of ecology, conservation and sound scene classification. These methods are already used to automatically classify animal vocalizations, for example, in identifying animal species and estimating numbers of individuals. Despite this potential, they have not yet found widespread application in animal welfare monitoring. In this review, we first discuss current trends in sound analysis for ecology, conservation and sound classification. Following this, we detail the vocalizations produced by three of the most important farm livestock species: chickens ( Gallus gallus domesticus), pigs ( Sus scrofa domesticus) and cattle ( Bos taurus). Finally, we describe how these methods can be applied to monitor animal welfare with new potential for developing automated methods for large-scale farming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P. Mcloughlin
- Centre for Digital Music, School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Campus, London, UK
| | - Rebecca Stewart
- Centre for Digital Music, School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Campus, London, UK
| | - Alan G. McElligott
- Centre for Research in Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, UK
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24
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25
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Lansverk AL, Schroeder KM, London SE, Griffith SC, Clayton DF, Balakrishnan CN. The variability of song variability in zebra finch ( Taeniopygia guttata) populations. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:190273. [PMID: 31218064 PMCID: PMC6549970 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.190273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Birdsong is a classic example of a learned social behaviour. Song behaviour is also influenced by genetic factors, and understanding the relative contributions of genetic and environmental influences remains a major goal. In this study, we take advantage of captive zebra finch populations to examine variation in a population-level song trait: song variability. Song variability is of particular interest in the context of individual recognition and in terms of the neuro-developmental mechanisms that generate song novelty. We find that the Australian zebra finch Taeniopygia guttata castanotis (TGC) maintains higher song diversity than the Timor zebra finch T. g. guttata (TGG) even after experimentally controlling for early life song exposure, suggesting a genetic basis to this trait. Although wild-derived TGC were intermediate in song variability between domesticated TGC populations and TGG, the difference between domesticated and wild TGC was not statistically significant. The observed variation in song behaviour among zebra finch populations represents a largely untapped opportunity for exploring the mechanisms of social behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison L. Lansverk
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
- Author for correspondence: Allison L. Lansverk e-mail:
| | | | - Sarah E. London
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Simon C. Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David F. Clayton
- Department of Biological & Experimental Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
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26
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Pike CD, Kriengwatana BP. Vocal tract constancy in birds and humans. Behav Processes 2018; 163:99-112. [PMID: 30145277 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2017] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Humans perceive speech as being relatively stable despite acoustic variation caused by vocal tract (VT) differences between speakers. Humans use perceptual 'vocal tract normalisation' (VTN) and other processes to achieve this stability. Similarity in vocal apparatus/acoustics between birds and humans means that birds might also experience VT variation. This has the potential to impede bird communication. No known studies have explicitly examined this, but a number of studies show perceptual stability or 'perceptual constancy' in birds similar to that seen in humans when dealing with VT variation. This review explores similarities between birds and humans and concludes that birds show sufficient evidence of perceptual constancy to warrant further research in this area. Future work should 1) quantify the multiple sources of variation in bird vocalisations, including, but not limited to VT variations, 2) determine whether vocalisations are perniciously disrupted by any of these and 3) investigate how birds reduce variation to maintain perceptual constancy and perceptual efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cleopatra Diana Pike
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Mary's Quad, South Street, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9JP, UK.
| | - Buddhamas Pralle Kriengwatana
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Mary's Quad, South Street, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9JP, UK
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27
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Lumaca M, Ravignani A, Baggio G. Music Evolution in the Laboratory: Cultural Transmission Meets Neurophysiology. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:246. [PMID: 29713263 PMCID: PMC5911491 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, there has been renewed interest in the biological and cultural evolution of music, and specifically in the role played by perceptual and cognitive factors in shaping core features of musical systems, such as melody, harmony, and rhythm. One proposal originates in the language sciences. It holds that aspects of musical systems evolve by adapting gradually, in the course of successive generations, to the structural and functional characteristics of the sensory and memory systems of learners and “users” of music. This hypothesis has found initial support in laboratory experiments on music transmission. In this article, we first review some of the most important theoretical and empirical contributions to the field of music evolution. Next, we identify a major current limitation of these studies, i.e., the lack of direct neural support for the hypothesis of cognitive adaptation. Finally, we discuss a recent experiment in which this issue was addressed by using event-related potentials (ERPs). We suggest that the introduction of neurophysiology in cultural transmission research may provide novel insights on the micro-evolutionary origins of forms of variation observed in cultural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Lumaca
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University and The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Andrea Ravignani
- Artificial Intelligence Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.,Research Department, Sealcentre Pieterburen, Pieterburen, Netherlands.,Language and Cognition Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Giosuè Baggio
- Language Acquisition and Language Processing Lab, Department of Language and Literature, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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28
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James LS, Sakata JT. Learning Biases Underlie "Universals" in Avian Vocal Sequencing. Curr Biol 2017; 27:3676-3682.e4. [PMID: 29174890 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 10/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Biological predispositions in vocal learning have been proposed to underlie commonalities in vocal sequences, including for speech and birdsong, but cultural propagation could also account for such commonalities [1-4]. Songbirds such as the zebra finch learn the sequencing of their acoustic elements ("syllables") during development [5-8]. Zebra finches are not constrained to learn a specific sequence of syllables, but significant consistencies in the positioning and sequencing of syllables have been observed between individuals within populations and between populations [8-10]. To reveal biological predispositions in vocal sequence learning, we individually tutored juvenile zebra finches with randomized and unbiased sequences of syllables and analyzed the extent to which birds produced common sequences. In support of biological predispositions, birds tutored with randomized sequences produced songs with striking similarities. Birds preferentially started and ended their song sequence with particular syllables, consistently positioned shorter and higher frequency syllables in the middle of their song, and sequenced their syllables such that pitch alternated across adjacent syllables. These patterns are reminiscent of those observed in normally tutored birds, suggesting that birds "creolize" aberrant sequence inputs to produce normal sequence outputs. Similar patterns were also observed for syllables that were not used for tutoring (i.e., unlearned syllables), suggesting that motor biases could contribute to sequence learning biases. Furthermore, zebra finches spontaneously produced acoustic patterns that are commonly observed in speech and music, suggesting that sensorimotor processes that are shared across a wide range of vertebrates could underlie these patterns in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan S James
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada.
| | - Jon T Sakata
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada; Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 2A8, Canada.
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29
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Tchernichovski O, Feher O, Fimiarz D, Conley D. How social learning adds up to a culture: from birdsong to human public opinion. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 220:124-132. [PMID: 28057835 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.142786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Distributed social learning may occur at many temporal and spatial scales, but it rarely adds up to a stable culture. Cultures vary in stability and diversity (polymorphism), ranging from chaotic or drifting cultures, through cumulative polymorphic cultures, to stable monolithic cultures with high conformity levels. What features can sustain polymorphism, preventing cultures from collapsing into either chaotic or highly conforming states? We investigate this question by integrating studies across two quite separate disciplines: the emergence of song cultures in birds, and the spread of public opinion and social conventions in humans. In songbirds, the learning process has been studied in great detail, while in human studies the structure of social networks has been experimentally manipulated on large scales. In both cases, the manner in which communication signals are compressed and filtered - either during learning or while traveling through the social network - can affect culture polymorphism and stability. We suggest a simple mechanism of a shifting balance between converging and diverging social forces to explain these effects. Understanding social forces that shape cultural evolution might be useful for designing agile communication systems, which are stable and polymorphic enough to promote gradual changes in institutional behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ofer Tchernichovski
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Olga Feher
- Department of Psychology and Language Sciences, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, 3 Charles Street, EH8 9JS, UK
| | - Daniel Fimiarz
- Division of Science, The City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Dalton Conley
- Department of Sociology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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Mol C, Chen A, Kager RWJ, Ter Haar SM. Prosody in birdsong: A review and perspective. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 81:167-180. [PMID: 28232050 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Revised: 02/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Birdsong shows striking parallels with human speech. Previous comparisons between birdsong and human vocalizations focused on syntax, phonology and phonetics. In this review, we propose that future comparative research should expand its focus to include prosody, i.e. the temporal and melodic properties that extend over larger units of song. To this end, we consider the similarities between birdsong structure and the prosodic hierarchy in human speech and between context-dependent acoustic variations in birdsong and the biological codes in human speech. Moreover, we discuss songbirds' sensitivity to prosody-like acoustic features and the role of such features in song segmentation and song learning in relation to infants' sensitivity to prosody and the role of prosody in early language acquisition. Finally, we make suggestions for future comparative birdsong research, including a framework of how prosody in birdsong can be studied. In particular, we propose to analyze birdsong as a multidimensional signal composed of specific acoustic features, and to assess whether these acoustic features are organized into prosody-like structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carien Mol
- Cognitive Neurobiology and Helmholtz Institute, Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80086, 3508 TB Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Aoju Chen
- Utrecht Institute of Linguistics OTS, Department of Languages, Literature and Communication, Utrecht University, Trans 10, 3512 JK Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - René W J Kager
- Utrecht Institute of Linguistics OTS, Department of Languages, Literature and Communication, Utrecht University, Trans 10, 3512 JK Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Sita M Ter Haar
- Cognitive Neurobiology and Helmholtz Institute, Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80086, 3508 TB Utrecht, The Netherlands
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