Early experience shapes vocal neural coding and perception in songbirds

Woolley, Sarah M. N.

doi:10.1002/dev.21014

Cited by 74 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 202 publications

(326 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…perceptual biases independent of perceptual experience) that interact with experience to guide vocal development. While presence of this interaction is broadly accepted, ongoing debates and discussions concern the nature of the predispositions and of the interaction in shaping vocal production [3,4]. In this paper, we address these questions for a songbird species, the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The interplay of within-species perceptual predispositions and experience during song ontogeny in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Vocal acquisition in songbirds and humans shows many similarities, one of which is that both involve a combination of experience and perceptual predispositions. Among languages some speech sounds are shared, while others are not. This could reflect a predisposition in young infants for learning some speech sounds over others, which combines with exposure-based learning. Similarly, in songbirds, some sounds are common across populations, while others are more specific to populations or individuals. We examine whether this is also due to perceptual preferences for certain within-species element types in naive juvenile male birds, and how such preferences interact with exposure to guide subsequent song learning. We show that young zebra finches lacking previous song exposure perceptually prefer songs with more common zebra finch song element types over songs with less common elements. Next, we demonstrate that after subsequent tutoring, birds prefer tutor songs regardless of whether these contain more common or less common elements. In adulthood, birds tutored with more common elements showed a higher song similarity to their tutor song, indicating that the early bias influenced song learning. Our findings help to understand the maintenance of similarities and the presence of differences among birds' songs, their dialects and human languages.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The interplay of within-species perceptual predispositions and experience during song ontogeny in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…during early adolescence from around 35e65 days (Slater et al, 1988;Zann, 1996). During this time, the development of the neural substrate for song learning also continues (Bottjer, 2002) and young zebra finches moult into adult plumage, complete gonadal development and learn and practise the song they will sing as adults (Slater et al, 1988;Woolley, 2012;Zann, 1996). The beginning of nutritional independence coincides not only with the beginning of the peak sensitive phase for song learning, but also with major social changes.…”

mentioning

confidence: 97%

Nutrition and peer group composition in early adolescence: impacts on male song and female preference in zebra finches

2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Immunocytochemistry (ICC) was conducted to label ZENK as described in [Lynch et al, 2008;2012;Ball, 2008 andLynch et al, 2017]. Tissue was placed in 0.5% hydrogen peroxide with 20% normal goat serum to block nonspecific binding.…”

Section: Doi: 101159/000489115mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Yet, how species recognition and sensory perception arise is an enduring question [Bolhuis, 1991;Whaling et al, 1997;Woolley, 2012]. Experience-independent templates underlying sensory perception may provide a basis for inter-DOI: 10.1159/000489115 preting important signals necessary for survival, whereas enduring experience-dependent changes in sensory perception can lead to adaptive responses that enhance an animal's fitness across its lifetime.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species-Specific Auditory Forebrain Responses to Non-Learned Vocalizations in Juvenile Blackbirds

Lynch

Louder²,

Hauber³

2018

Brain Behav Evol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Species recognition mediates the association of individuals with conspecifics. Learned cues often facilitate species recognition via early social experience with parents and siblings. Yet, in some songbirds, the production of species-typical vocalizations develops in the absence of early social experiences. Here, we investigate the auditory-evoked neural responses of juvenile red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus), a nonparasitic (parental) species within the Icterid family and contrast these results with a closely related Icterid parasitic species that lacks parental care, the brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater). We demonstrate that immediate early gene (IEG) activity in the caudomedial mesopallium (CMM) is selectively evoked in response to conspecific non-learned vocalizations in comparison to 2 types of heterospecific non-learned vocalizations, independent of the acoustic similarity patterns between the playback stimuli. This pattern, however, was not detected in the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM). Because the red-winged blackbird is a parental species, the conspecific non-learned vocalization is presumably a familiar sound to the juvenile red-winged blackbird, whereas the heterospecific non-learned vocalizations are novel. We contrast results reported here with our recent demonstration of selective IEG induction in response to non-learned conspecific vocalizations in juvenile parasitic brown-headed cowbirds, in which conspecific non-learned vocalizations are presumably novel. In this case, selective IEG induction from conspecific non-learned vocalization occurred within NCM but not within CMM. By comparing closely related species with stark differences in the early exposure to conspecifics, we demonstrate that CMM and NCM respond to familiar vs. novel non-learned vocalizations in a manner that parallel previously reported regional responses to learned vocalizations such as conspecific songs.

show abstract

Early experience shapes vocal neural coding and perception in songbirds

Cited by 74 publications

References 202 publications

The interplay of within-species perceptual predispositions and experience during song ontogeny in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

The interplay of within-species perceptual predispositions and experience during song ontogeny in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

Nutrition and peer group composition in early adolescence: impacts on male song and female preference in zebra finches

Species-Specific Auditory Forebrain Responses to Non-Learned Vocalizations in Juvenile Blackbirds

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About