Review
Biology
William A. Searcy, Jill Soha, Susan Peters, Stephen Nowicki
Summary: Songbirds as vocal production learners vary greatly in crucial features such as selectivity in choice of external models, accuracy of copying, and whether learning from external models continues into adulthood. Some songbird species can develop songs without external models and are classified as limited vocal learners, while others require exposure to external models and are considered complex vocal learners.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Physiology
Tomoko G. Fujii, Austin Coulter, Koedi S. Lawley, Jonathan F. Prather, Kazuo Okanoya
Summary: Research on birdsong involves the neural and behavioral mechanisms of song acquisition and production, as well as the role of song preference in avian social interactions. Understanding these issues may provide insights into the mechanisms of human speech communication.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Sarah W. Bottjer, Chloe Le Moing, Ellysia Li, Rachel Yuan
Summary: Vocal learning in songbirds is mediated by a localized system of interconnected forebrain regions. Behavioral state significantly affects neural responses to auditory stimuli, with reduced or absent responses in awake birds compared to sleep and anesthesia states. However, cortical responses to song playback in juvenile zebra finches differ between sleep and anesthesia, raising questions about the relationship between sleep activity, selectivity for different song types, and the neural basis of vocal learning.
Article
Neurosciences
Parker Rundstrom, Nicole Creanza
Summary: Birdsong serves as a fascinating system to study behavioral and neural plasticity, with oscine songbirds displaying a rich behavioral plasticity in their song learning process. The development of song plasticity is diverse and dynamic, reflecting the dynamic changes in both behavioral and neural systems of songbirds.
CURRENT OPINION IN NEUROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Lies Zandberg, Robert F. Lachlan, Luca Lamoni, Ellen C. Garland
Summary: Humpback whale song reflects vocal cultural behavior, with distinct patterns in populations of the Southern and Northern Hemispheres. Learning parameters are associated with cultural evolution patterns in these whale populations.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biology
Carien Mol, Johan J. Bolhuis, Sanne Moorman
Summary: Male zebra finches imitate their father's unique song, and both sexes can recognize the father's song, but syllable sequence is not essential for recognition of the father's song, although it does affect the responsiveness of males.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
C. M. Coomes, E. P. Derryberry
Summary: Global climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves, affecting mating behavior and song production in zebra finches. Male zebra finches reduce song output and alter singing characteristics under high temperature conditions, while females can discriminate between songs produced at different temperatures.
Review
Ecology
Patrice Adret
Summary: This review focuses on vocal duetting in homeothermic animals and highlights the development of this trait throughout an individual's life. The study reveals the use of avian models to identify research gaps in singing primates and discusses the flexibility of primate coordinated song. Additionally, the review explores the neural mechanisms underlying duetting in birds and mammals while also addressing limitations and future prospects in this field of research.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Ryosuke O. Tachibana, Dahyun Lee, Kazuki Kai, Satoshi Kojima
Summary: This study investigates the neural substrates underlying motor memory consolidation in birdsong, and finds that consolidation of learned vocal changes occurs during the daytime, and is strongly correlated with the amount of learning.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Susan Peters, Jill Soha, William A. Searcy, Stephen Nowicki
Summary: The study found differences in song syntax learning between trained and isolate groups of song sparrows. Isolate males followed certain syntactical rules, while trained males' syntax was little affected by training features.
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Remya Sankar, Nicolas P. Rougier, Arthur Leblois
Summary: The plasticity of nervous systems plays a vital role in enabling animals to adapt to a changing environment. This review explores the significance of structural plasticity in brain networks and its contributions to computational models, using the example of vocal learning circuitry in zebra finches. The review discusses current evidence for structural plasticity across species, categorizes them based on spatial and developmental factors, and highlights the unanswered questions raised by modeling studies.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Adam E. Mitchell, Blair O. Wolf, Thomas E. Martin
Summary: Understanding variation in offspring energy expenditure is crucial for growth and development. Weather and parental care may affect offspring energy expenditure, and species differences also play a role.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wang Qing-Qin, Liu Meng-Jiao, Niu Ya-Li, Li Dong-Feng, Wang Song-Hua, Meng Wei
Summary: Songbirds, like humans, are capable of complex phonological learning and their singing behavior is regulated by dopamine and its receptors in various nuclei associated with singing. Dopamine plays a crucial role in promoting song learning in juvenile songbirds, maintaining song retention in adulthood, and regulating song production during courtship by influencing the singing-related nuclei.
PROGRESS IN BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Erick Gonzalez-Medina, Naria Playa-Montmany, Julian Cabello-Vergel, Manuel Parejo, Jose M. Abad-Gomez, Juan M. Sanchez-Guzman, Auxiliadora Villegas, Jorge S. Gutierrez, Jose A. Masero
Summary: This study investigated the thermal adaptations of eight Mediterranean-resident songbirds. During winter, these songbirds increased their basal metabolic rate and decreased thermal conductance. During summer, evaporative water loss increased, but the rate of increase decreased compared to temperature. These findings suggest physiological adjustments that enhance the resilience of Mediterranean songbirds to environmental changes.
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY A-MOLECULAR & INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Kristina B. Beck, Damien R. Farine, Josh A. Firth, Ben C. Sheldon
Summary: The structure of animal societies is influenced by factors such as habitat configuration and population size. In this study, the researchers investigated how population size and habitat configuration affect the social structure of great tits. They found that population size was consistent within locations and predicted by habitat configuration, and that it influenced social structure as measured by network metrics. Additionally, the researchers discovered that social decisions made by individuals played a significant role in shaping social network features.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
J. R. Sosa-Lopez, J. E. Martinez Gomez, D. J. Mennill
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2016)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Allison H. Hahn, Marisa Hoeschele, Lauren M. Guillette, John Hoang, Neil McMillan, Jenna V. Congdon, Kimberley A. Campbell, Daniel J. Mennill, Ken A. Otter, Thibault Grava, Laurene M. Ratcliffe, Christopher B. Sturdy
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Nicolas Rehberg-Besler, Stephanie M. Doucet, Daniel J. Mennill
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2017)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Sean P. Roach, Ashley C. Lockyer, Tareq Yousef, Daniel J. Mennill, Leslie S. Phillmore
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2016)
Article
Ornithology
Matthew J. Watson, David R. Wilson, Daniel J. Mennill
Article
Zoology
Nick Rehberg-Besler, Stephanie M. Doucet, Daniel J. Mennill
JOURNAL OF HERPETOLOGY
(2016)
Article
Psychology, Biological
J. Roberto Sosa-Lopez, Daniel J. Mennill, Katherine Renton
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Christopher Moser-Purdy, Scott A. MacDougall-Shackleton, Frances Bonier, Brendan A. Graham, Andrea C. Boyer, Daniel J. Mennill
HORMONES AND BEHAVIOR
(2017)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Luis Sandoval, Kevin L. Epperly, John Klicka, Daniel J. Mennill
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2017)
Article
Zoology
Luis Sandoval, Pierre-Paul Bitton, Alana D. Demko, Stephanie M. Doucet, Daniel J. Mennill
Article
Ecology
Brendan A. Graham, Daniel D. Heath, Daniel J. Mennill
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2017)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Brendan A. Graham, Daniel D. Heath, Ryan P. Walter, Daniel J. Mennill
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Sean P. Roach, Daniel J. Mennill, Leslie S. Phillmore
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Christopher Moser-Purdy, Elizabeth A. MacDougall-Shackleton, Daniel J. Mennill
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Marcelo Araya-Salas, Katarzyna Wojczulanis-Jakubas, Emily M. Phillips, Daniel J. Mennill, Timothy F. Wright