| auditory perception following hair cell regeneration in european starling (sturnus vulgaris): frequency and temporal resolution. | behavioral detection thresholds, auditory filter widths, and temporal modulation transfer functions were obtained from four starlings before, during and after 11 days of subcutaneous injections of kanamycin, an aminoglycoside antibiotic. birds were operantly conditioned to respond to pure tones and amplitude modulated noises ranging in frequency from 0.25 to 7 khz using adaptive staircase procedures and were tested daily for 92 days after the first injection of aminoglycoside. all birds had thre ... | 1998 | 9637039 |
| the effect of egg size and habitat on starling nestling growth and survival. | in spite of the fact that hatchling size and energy reserves in birds are affected by egg size, many studies have failed to find an effect of egg size on offspring fitness. one possibility is that this is because they have been performed in areas with high food availability and that effects of egg size on offspring fitness are most apparent in areas of low food availability. to investigate this, egg size,␣offspring mass and survival of european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) were measured in an ag ... | 1998 | 28308468 |
| decreased light intensity alters the perception of day length by male european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | the breeding season of wild starlings is controlled by photoperiod. full breeding condition is attained during exposure to lengthening days in the spring, and photorefractoriness ensues. the reproductive system of starlings will not subsequently be stimulated by long day lengths until photorefractoriness is dissipated by the short day lengths experienced in the autumn and winter. unlike most studies on avian photoperiodism, this investigation involved manipulation of light intensity of a fixed p ... | 1998 | 9554576 |
| visual pigments, oil droplets and cone photoreceptor distribution in the european starling (sturnus vulgaris) | microspectrophotometric measurements of retinal photoreceptors from the european starling (sturnus vulgaris) revealed four classes of single cone, containing visual pigments with wavelengths of maximum absorbance (<img src="/images/symbols/lambda.gif" width="8" height="12" align="bottom" naturalsizeflag= "3">max) at 563, 504, 449 and close to 362 nm. the two longer-wave-sensitive single cones contained brightly coloured oil droplets which cut off light below 572 and 514 nm, respectively. the 449 ... | 1998 | 9547323 |
| propagation of bird acoustic signals: comparative study of starling and blackbird distress calls. | previous works have demonstrated that the information supported by a bird distress call is encoded both by the energy distribution among harmonics and the temporal evolution of the frequency modulation. in the present study, using these parameters, we compared long-range information transfer in a dense vegetation environment between the starling sturnus vulgaris and the blackbird. turdus merula distress calls. it appears that excess attenuation of high frequencies (higher than 4 khz) after a lon ... | 1997 | 9499938 |
| learning from others' mistakes: a paradox revisited | some researchers have reported the paradoxical finding of enhanced social learning when naive observers learn from unskilled rather than skilled demonstrators, particularly in discrimination tasks. in two experiments with starlings, sturnus vulgaris, i considered whether this enhanced learning is because the observer (1) sees incorrect responses only, (2) sees both correct and incorrect responses or (3) sees an increase in the proportion of correct responses over trials. in experiment 1, individ ... | 1998 | 9480674 |
| the role of prolactin in the development of reproductive photorefractoriness and postnuptial molt in the european starling (sturnus vulgaris). | seasonal breeding in many birds, including the european starling, is terminated by the development of absolute reproductive photorefractoriness, followed by a postnuptial molt, when photo-induced prl secretion is at its seasonal maximum. to determine whether this photo-induced increase in prl secretion has a causal role in the development of photorefractoriness or molt, european starlings were actively immunized against vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (vip), the prl releasing hormone in birds, ... | 1998 | 9449615 |
| photorefractoriness in european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) is not dependent upon the long-day-induced rise in plasma thyroxine. | transfer of intact, photosensitive starlings from short to long days causes an increase in plasma thyroxine and gonadal maturation and later induces photorefractoriness. thyroidectomy of starlings prevents the induction of photorefractoriness. this study investigated whether the long-day-induced increase in plasma thyroxine is necessary for the induction of photorefractoriness. photosensitive starlings were thyroidectomised, given thyroxine in their drinking water at concentrations that result i ... | 1997 | 9268624 |
| immunocytochemical localization of gnrh precursor in the hypothalamus of european starlings during sexual maturation and photorefractoriness. | immunocytochemistry with quantitative image analysis, for both gnrh and its precursor prognrh-gap, was used in male european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) to investigate four stages of a photoperiodically-induced reproductive cycle. four different groups of birds were examined: photosensitive buy sexually immature, sexually mature, undergoing gonadal regression, and after the completion of regression and fully photorefractory. the size of cells staining for gnrh and prognrh-gap increased during g ... | 1997 | 9089475 |
| searching in patches by european starlings, sturnus vulgaris. | despite the importance of within-patch search for predicting optimal patch-leaving strategy, little experimental effort has been devoted to the study of this foraging behaviour. in addition, predators' strategic responses to variability in features like the within-patch distribution of prey can have important consequences for their dietary decisions. we therefore analyse the search paths of european starlings, sturnus vulgaris, foraging individually in artificial patches that vary in the spatial ... | 1997 | 24896962 |
| photoperiodic condition modulates the effects of testosterone on song control nuclei volumes in male european starlings. | songbirds possess a specialized network of brain nuclei mediating song learning and production, the song system. in many species, the nuclei in this circuit are larger in volume in males housed on long photoperiods than in males housed on short photoperiods. exposure to long days initially leads to increases in circulating levels of testosterone (t) and it is generally believed that volume changes in the song system are controlled by t-dependent effects of photoperiod. however, a growing body of ... | 1997 | 9038260 |
| pcb and heavy metal contamination and effects in european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) at a superfund site. | | 1997 | 8975802 |
| early administration of 17beta-estradiol partially masculinizes song control regions and alpha2-adrenergic receptor distribution in european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | the vocal control system in many songbird species is a sexually dimorphic neural circuit that mediates learning and production of song. the mechanism by which this system is sexually differentiated has been investigated in only one species, the zebra finch (taeniopygia guttata). estradiol may be involved in the sexual differentiation of this system, as female zebra finches treated with estradiol as nestlings develop a male-like song system; however, blocking estradiol action in embryonic and nes ... | 1996 | 9047265 |
| influence of urethane anesthesia on neural processing in the auditory cortex analogue of a songbird. | functional maps of auditory response areas were derived from multi-unit recordings in the caudal telencephalon of the starling (sturnus vulgaris l.). a regular grid of recording sites with distances of 200 microns horizontally and 100 microns vertically was placed over the auditory cortex analogue. within one plane, mapping of auditory responses was first performed in the awake bird and then repeated under urethane anesthesia. the data from both experimental approaches differ considerably. ureth ... | 1996 | 8817307 |
| age- and behavior-related variation in volumes of song control nuclei in male european starlings. | there is considerable interindividual variation in the volumes of song control nuclei. sex and physiological condition appear to contribute to these differences; however, these factors alone do not account for all of the variation. studies have attempted to relate differences in song behavior (i.e., song repertoire size) to variation in song nucleus volume, but have met with mixed success. in this article, two studies are presented that used male european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) to explore ... | 1996 | 8807526 |
| measuring leg thrust forces in the common starling | we describe the design of a force-transducing perch which measures the reaction forces of small birds taking off and landing. in common starlings, landing forces are lower than take-off forces, because the bird may decelerate prior to landing by using its wings. both landing and take-off forces are significantly correlated with body mass; however, the angles of these reaction forces show no significant mass-dependence and are not repeatable within individuals. diversity in take-off or landing st ... | 1996 | 9318079 |
| two histological markers reveal a similar photoperiodic difference in the volume of the high vocal center in male european starlings. | most studies of seasonal changes in the avian song control system have used nissl stains to characterize the nuclei. more recent work has indicated that changes in nucleus volume evident in nissl-stained tissue are not always apparent when investigated with other histochemical criteria. in this experiment, we used two different markers (nissl stain and alpha 2-adrenergic receptor autoradiography) to characterize changes in the song system of european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). fluctuating lev ... | 1995 | 8801262 |
| heritability of nestling growth in cross-fostered european starlings sturnus vulgaris. | in altricial birds, growth rates and nestling morphology vary between broods. for natural selection to produce evolutionary change in these variables, ther must exist heritable variation. since nestling traits are not any longer presents in parents, traditional offspring-parent regressions cannot estimate heritabilities of these. in this study, a partial cross-fostering experiment was performed, where nestlings of the european starling (sturnus vulgaris) were reciprocally exchanged between nests ... | 1995 | 8647400 |
| plasma prolactin and luteinizing hormone during termination and onset of photorefractoriness in intact and pinealectomized european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | plasma levels of prolactin and luteinizing hormone have been examined in intact and pinealectomized european starling (sturnus vulgaris) during termination and onset of photorefractoriness. photorefractory starlings exposed to long (18l:6d) daily photoperiods for 10 weeks were pinealectomized. one week after pinealectomy these birds, along with the intact and sham-operated birds, were transferred to short (8l:16d) daily photoperiods. after 10 weeks on short day lengths the daily photoperiod was ... | 1995 | 8536928 |
| an excitation-pattern model for the starling (sturnus vulgaris). | this paper develops and tests an excitation-pattern model for the starling. like excitation-pattern models for humans [e.g., zwicker, acustica 6, 365-381 (1956); florentine and buus, j. acoust. soc. am. 70, 1646-1654 (1981)], the model for starlings provides a unified account of a large body of data. the foundation of the model is a critical-band scale, which is derived as an equal-distance scale according to a cochlear-map function. the cochlear-map function is determined as a best-fitting func ... | 1995 | 7608390 |
| the effect of duration of exposure to short days on the gonadal response to long days in male starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | photorefractory male starlings (sturnus vulgaris) were transferred from a photoperiodic schedule of 18 h light:6 h dark to 8 h light:16 h dark for 2, 4, 6 or 10 weeks, and then photostimulated by exposure to 18 h light:6 h dark. testicular dimensions were measured at regular intervals by laparotomy. there was no change in testicular volume in birds photostimulated after 2 weeks under a photoperiod of 8 h light:16 h dark, but a cycle of testicular growth followed by regression occurred in the oth ... | 1995 | 7473410 |
| discrimination training in a go/nogo-procedure alters the 2-deoxyglucose pattern in the starling's forebrain. | european starling's (sturnus vulgaris l.) were used to measure differences in the glucose metabolism in the auditory forebrain between birds performing an auditory discrimination task and birds habituated to the same acoustic stimuli. one group (n = 5) of individuals was trained in an operant go/nogo-procedure to report 1-khz tone signals in a background of 4-khz stimuli. the other group (n = 5) was habituated to the experimental set-up and to the same sequence of tones presented to the trained ... | 1995 | 7552331 |
| reflective organelles in the anterior pigment epithelium of the iris of the european starling sturnus vulgaris. | the ultrastructure and chemical composition of reflective organelles in the anterior pigment epithelium of the iris of the european starling sturnus vulgaris were examined. the reflective organelles produced a diffuse white reflectance at the iris mid-section which was visible only when the stroma was removed. the pigment granules were clear, angular, and birefringent under the light microscope. in electron micrographs the granules were irregular in shape and density, sometimes crystalline in ap ... | 1995 | 7781036 |
| critical bands and critical-ratio bandwidth in the european starling. | critical bands (cb) and critical-ratio (cr) bandwidth were determined in five european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) using a go/nogo procedure and the method of constant stimuli. test-tone frequencies were 1, 2, 4, and 6.3 khz. critical ratios were independent of the level of the white noise masker. the lowest cr of 21.8 db was found at 1 khz, and the cr monotonically increased on average by 2.3 db per octave. cr-bandwidths at a masker spectrum level of 41 db were 151, 191, 437, and 501 hz at 1, ... | 1995 | 7642449 |
| neuromuscular control and kinematics of intermittent flight in the european starling (sturnus vulgaris) | electromyographic (emg) and kinematic data were collected from european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) flying at a range of speeds from 8 to 18 m s-1 in a variable-speed windtunnel. their flight at all speeds consisted of alternating flapping and non-flapping phases. wing postures during non-flapping phases included glides, partial-bounds and bounds. glides were performed proportionally more often within each speed and were longer in duration than either of the other two non-flapping postures, but ... | 1995 | 9319121 |
| temporal modulation transfer functions in the european starling (sturnus vulgaris): ii. responses of auditory-nerve fibres. | the temporal resolution of cochlear-nerve fibres in the european starling was determined with sinusoidally amplitude-modulated noise stimuli similar to those previously used in a psychoacoustic study in this species (klump and okanoya, 1991). temporal modulation transfer curves (tmtfs) were constructed for cochlear afferents allowing a direct comparison with the starling's behavioural performance. on average, the neuron's detection of modulation was less sensitive than that obtained in the behav ... | 1995 | 7744716 |
| a comparison of the responses to gonadotrophin-releasing hormone of adult and juvenile, and photosensitive and photorefractory european starlings, sturnus vulgaris. | the reproductive system of juvenile european starlings appears to be similar to that of photorefractory adults, yet the increase in plasma luteinizing hormone (lh) in juveniles in response to gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (gnrh) is much less than that of photorefractory adults. to investigate this apparent anomaly, the effects of age, reproductive state, and sex on the increase in plasma lh concentration in response to im injections of gnrh were investigated. the results show that photorefract ... | 1995 | 7713378 |
| characterization and localization of d1 dopamine receptors in the sexually dimorphic vocal control nucleus, area x, and the basal ganglia of european starlings. | d1 dopamine receptors were pharmacologically characterized and localized by quantitative autoradiography in the basal ganglia of male and female european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). the d1 selective antagonist sch 23390 was used to label this receptor subtype. starlings are songbirds and possess a neural circuit implicated in the learning and production of song. this circuit includes a sexually dimorphic nucleus, area x, that is a subregion of the parolfactory lobe of the basal ganglia and is ... | 1994 | 8089655 |
| acquisition of photosensitivity in castrated male starlings (sturnus vulgaris) under short day photoperiods. | photorefractory castrated male starlings were transferred from a photoperiodic schedule of 18 h light:6 h dark to 1 h light:23 h dark, 5 h light:19 h dark, 8 h light: 16 h dark or 11 h light:13 h dark. plasma concentrations of lh were measured in blood samples taken at regular intervals, to give an indication of the reacquisition of photosensitivity under these schedules. concentration of plasma lh increased after 35, 38, 35 and 63 days, respectively; there was a steady increase in lh in all gro ... | 1994 | 8182615 |
| sex differences in the volume of avian song control nuclei: comparative studies and the issue of brain nucleus delineation. | two goals of research on neural sex differences are to establish the behavioral function of such sex differences and to identify precisely what features differ between males and females. comparative studies of sex differences in the volume of brain nuclei within the songbird vocal control circuit provide one way to address these goals. informative comparisons can be either inter-specific or intra-specific. inter-specific comparisons of species within the songbird suborder allow one to establish ... | 1994 | 7938349 |
| hair cell regeneration in the european starling (sturnus vulgaris): recovery of pure-tone detection thresholds. | behavioral detection thresholds were obtained from four starlings before, during, and after 11 days of subcutaneous injections of kanamycin. birds were operantly conditioned to respond to pure-tones ranging in frequency from 0.25 khz to 7 khz using the method of constant stimuli and were tested daily for 141 days after the first injection of aminoglycoside. all four birds sustained hearing losses greater than 60 db at frequencies from 4 khz to 7 khz by the end of the 11 day injection schedule. t ... | 1993 | 8113131 |
| perceptual organization of auditory temporal patterns in european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | the perception of continuously repeating auditory patterns by european starlings was explored in seven experiments. in experiment 1, 4 starlings learned to discriminate between two continuously repeating, eight-element, auditory patterns. each eight-element pattern was constructed from different temporal organizations of two elements differing in timbre. in experiments 2-7, the repeating patterns were transformed in ways designed to identify the starlings' perceptual organization of the patterns ... | 1993 | 8290326 |
| thyroidectomy progressively renders the reproductive system of starlings (sturnus vulgaris) unresponsive to changes in daylength. | if starlings (sturnus vulgaris) are transferred to long days soon after being thyroidectomized, they show gonadal maturation but no subsequent photorefractoriness, suggesting a specific role for thyroid hormones in the development of photorefractoriness. this study tests an alternative hypothesis: that following thyroidectomy all gonadal responses to photoperiodic changes are progressively inhibited. photoperiodic responses of starlings were examined at two different times after thyroidectomy. t ... | 1993 | 8254293 |
| nonlethal rodent repellents: differences in chemical structure and efficacy from nonlethal bird repellent. | at least some anthranilates (e.g., methyl anthranilate), and acetophenones (e.g., orthoaminoacetophenone) are aversive to mice as well as to birds. here we systematically examined nine acetophenone isomers (ortho, meta, para) and moieties (amino, hydroxy, methoxy) previously tested as drinking and feeding repellents for european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). all nine substances reduced intake by mice in single-bottle tests. when molecular characteristics were examined, amino group reactivity and ... | 1993 | 24249376 |
| porphyrin profiles in the nestling european starling (sturnus vulgaris): a potential biomarker of field contaminant exposure. | porphyrin patterns in avian and mammalian tissues and/or excreta have been proposed as qualitative and quantitative biomarkers of exposure to polyhalogenated hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and other environmental contaminants. however, no widely distributed terrestrial species has been characterized as a suitable model in which to assess porphyrin profiles in the evaluation of environmental contaminant exposure. the european starling, whose nests can be readily established and manipulated on contam ... | 1993 | 8360942 |
| sexual dimorphism in the volume of song control nuclei in european starlings: assessment by a nissl stain and autoradiography for muscarinic cholinergic receptors. | previous studies have found that the volume of several song control nuclei is larger in male songbirds than in female songbirds. the degree of this volumetric sex difference within a given species appears to be systematically related to the degree of the behavioral sex difference. the largest volumetric differences have been reported in species in which the male sings and the female sings little, if at all, and the smallest sex differences in volume have been reported in species in which males a ... | 1993 | 7691901 |
| ultrastructural evidence for changes in synaptic input to the hypothalamic luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone neurons in photosensitive and photorefractory starlings. | neural input to the hypothalamic luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (lhrh) neurons was investigated in male starlings (sturnus vulgaris) using electron microscopy combined with immunocytochemistry. birds (4 to 6 in each group) were sampled at four stages of a photoperiodically induced reproductive cycle: (a) sexually immature but photosensitive, under short days; (b) during sexual maturation after 7 to 25 long days; (c) during gonadal regression after 35 to 50 long days; and (d) when fully ph ... | 1993 | 8401562 |
| sucrose repellency to european starlings: will high-sucrose cultivars deter bird damage to fruit? | european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) are often pests in commercial fruit crops in north america and europe. because starlings slack the digestive enzyme sucrase and cannot digest sucrose, they may develop an aversion to high-sucrose fruits. in water-tube drinking trials, we tested captive starlings with aqueous solutions of 15% (mass/volume) mixed sugars to identify the level of sucrose required to develop a conditioned feeding aversion when digestible sugars are present. in one-tube tests, sta ... | 1993 | 27759327 |
| circannual rhythms in starlings: response of castrated birds to 12-hr days depends on photoperiodic history. | the annual cycle of reproductive function in starlings (sturnus vulgaris) is driven by seasonal changes in daylength and consists of a 6-month period of photosensitivity, culminating in maximal gonadal development, followed by a 6-month period of photorefractoriness. if male starlings are held under a constant photoperiod of 12 hr of light per day (ld 12:12), some individuals show circannual rhythms of testicular size. do these rhythms consist of alternating periods of photosensitivity and photo ... | 1993 | 8369550 |
| cytoarchitectonic organization and morphology of cells of the field l complex in male zebra finches (taenopygia guttata). | the organization of the field l complex, a thalamorecipient auditory region in the telencephalon of birds, was examined in nissl and golgi preparations of male zebra finches (taenopygia guttata). the field l complex comprises five cytoarchitectonic subdivisions: l1, l2a, l2b, l3, and l, although the border between l and l2b is not distinct. l2a is a plate extending dorsocaudally from the dorsal medullary lamina in the caudal neostriatum. l1 lies on the anterodorsal border and l3 lies on the post ... | 1992 | 1447407 |
| frequency discrimination in the european starling (sturnus vulgaris): a comparison of different measures. | frequency-difference limens (dl) were determined in a songbird, the european starling (sturnus vulgaris), for stimuli differing in the type of frequency change. four different types of frequency change were studied: an increase in frequency between pulsed tones (type fsu), a single sinusoidal sweep upward (type ssu) starting in the center of an 800 ms signal, an asymmetrical periodic sinusoidal frequency modulation that extended only above the reference frequency (type asfm), and a symmetrical p ... | 1992 | 1464574 |
| the identification of sex in the starling sturnus vulgaris using a molecular dna technique. | female birds can be identified through the presence of a w-chromosome. we describe a procedure for amplifying a w-linked dna marker in the starling (sturnus vulgaris) by the polymerase chain reaction (pcr) so allowing the diagnosis of sex in this species. the technique is sensitive, allowing even the smallest chicks to be sexed from a blood sample. the method possesses a positive internal control to ensure accuracy. it is also applicable to the spotless starling (s. unicolor) but not to two bird ... | 1992 | 1344995 |
| avian repellency of coniferyl and cinnamyl derivatives. | phenylpropanoids, a class of common phenolic compounds in plants, may potentially be useful as pest repellents. we investigated the relationship between the chemical structure of coniferyl benzoate and its repellency to birds by comparing coniferyl benzoate to two analogous natural esters, corresponding alcohols, and benzoic acid. the absolute and relative feeding repellency of these compounds were assessed in choice (two-cup) and no-choice (one-cup) tests using european starlings (sturnus vulga ... | 1992 | 27759204 |
| azimuthal sound localization in the european starling (sturnus vulgaris): i. physical binaural cues. | the physical measurements reported here test whether the european starling (sturnus vulgaris) evaluates the azimuth direction of a sound source with a peripheral auditory system composed of two acoustically coupled pressure-difference receivers (1) or of two decoupled pressure receivers (2). a directional pattern of sound intensity in the free-field was measured at the entrance of the auditory meatus using a probe microphone, and at the tympanum using laser vibrometry. the maximum differences in ... | 1992 | 1583608 |
| setting complex tasks to single units in the avian auditory forebrain. i: processing of complex artificial stimuli. | in the auditory forebrain (field l) of the european starling (sturnus vulgaris), single unit responses were recorded for a wide range of complex stimuli, comprising different forms of amplitude and frequency modulation. about two-third of the units locked to sinusoidal modulation regardless of whether frequency (sfm) or amplitude (sam) was modulated. on average, however, frequency led to stronger synchronization. both the proportion of phase locking and its mean strength showed a low-pass depend ... | 1992 | 1733914 |
| taxon-specific differences in responsiveness to capsaicin and several analogues: correlates between chemical structure and behavioral aversiveness. | the present set of experiments was designed to explore avian insensitivity to capsaicin. based upon a molecular model of avian chemosensory repellency, we hypothesized that structural modifications of the basic capsaicin molecule, which is itself not aversive to birds, might produce aversive analogues. to this end, european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) and norway rats (rattus norvegicus) were given varied concentrations of synthetic capsaicin and four analogues (methyl capsaicin, veratryl amine, ... | 1991 | 24258646 |
| chemical repellency in birds: relationship between chemical structure and avoidance response. | we examined how molecular structure of 24 anthranilate and benzoic acid derivatives correlated with drinking behavior in european starlings sturnus vulgaris. the effectiveness of bird repellents was associated with basicity, the presence of an electron-donating group in resonance with an electron-withdrawing carboxylic group on a phenyl ring, and a heterocyclic ring in the same pi cloud plane as the phenyl ring. of the benzoic acid derivatives tested in this study, methyl, ethyl, dimethyl, and l ... | 1991 | 1744613 |
| role of avian trigeminal sensory system in detecting coniferyl benzoate, a plant allelochemical. | coniferyl benzoate, a secondary metabolite found in quaking aspen (populus tremuloides) and other plants, is an avian feeding deterrent of ecological and potential commercial importance. this study was conducted to determine if coniferyl benzoate is a trigeminal stimulant for birds and to ascertain if trigeminal chemoreception of coniferyl benzoate can mediate avian feeding behavior. five european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) with bilateral nerve cuts (ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve) ... | 1991 | 24258600 |
| effect of daylength on the rate of recovery of photosensitivity in male starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | four groups of castrated photorefractory starlings were transferred from a photoperiod of 18 h light/day (18 l) to photoperiods of 6 l, 8 l, 11 l or 12 l. a control group was kept on 18 l. plasma concentrations of luteinizing hormone (lh) were low in all groups initially. the first significant increase in lh, which signals the recovery of photosensitivity, occurred after 4 weeks in the groups on 6 l and 8 l, after 8 weeks in the 11 l group and after 13 weeks in the 12 l group. there was no incre ... | 1991 | 1787473 |
| ectoparasitism and the role of green nesting material in the european starling. | the use of green nesting material is widespred among birds. recent evidence suggests that birds use secondary chemicals contained in green plants to control ectoparasites. we manipulated green nesting material and ectoparasites of european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) to test two hypotheses: (1) ectoparasites adversely affect prefledging survival and morphometrics or postfledging survival, and (2) green nesting material ameliorates the effects of ectoparasites. we recorded fat score, numbers of ... | 1991 | 28312727 |
| thyroxine treatment induces changes in hypothalamic gonadotrophin-releasing hormone characteristic of photorefractoriness in starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | photosensitive intact male starlings were transferred from short days (8l:16d) to 11l:13d for 16 weeks, and were therefore sexually mature. experimental groups were (i) held under 11l:13d and given exogenous thyroxine dissolved in the drinking water for 6 weeks or (ii) given thyroxine for 6 weeks and then transferred from 11l:13d to long days (18l:6d) for a further 6 weeks, while control groups were transferred to long days (18l:6d) either (iii) for 6 or (iv) for 12 weeks, or were (v) maintained ... | 1991 | 1874391 |
| temporal modulation transfer functions in the european starling (sturnus vulgaris): i. psychophysical modulation detection thresholds. | temporal modulation transfer functions (tmtf) were obtained from four european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) using a psychophysical go/nogo procedure combined with the method of constant stimuli. the tmtf for a continuous, broad-band noise of 55 db spl had a low-pass characteristic with a cut-off frequency of 123 hz. for an 800 ms gated stimulus of the same sound-pressure level, the tmtf had the shape of a band-pass filter with the most sensitive modulation frequency at around 20 hz. at 75 db the ... | 1991 | 2061200 |
| song acquisition in photosensitive and photorefractory male european starlings. | we tested the ability of 1-year-old european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) to acquire songs while in different physiological states. photorefractory males, with low testosterone levels, learned songs as completely and as accurately as photosensitive males in full reproductive condition. this indicates that song acquisition in 1-year-old males does not depend on high levels of androgens. the ability to learn songs during the nonbreeding season may reflect the high song output of potential tutors t ... | 1990 | 2286369 |
| seasonal shifts in odor acuity by starlings. | a passerine bird, the european starling sturnus vulgaris, demonstrated a seasonal ability to respond to odor cues. cardiac conditioned responses were most evident when birds were in breeding condition. once birds were in nonbreeding condition, responding to odors all but ceased. for birds in breeding condition, threshold sensitivity to the odor cyclohexanone was comparable to levels reported for nonpasserine birds (0.3% vapor saturation or 3.778 x 10(14) molecules/ml). in contrast, the threshold ... | 1990 | 2391467 |
| photoperiodic time measurement during the termination of photorefractoriness in the starling (sturnus vulgaris l.). | groups of photorefractory male european starlings have been kept under nanda-hamner ld schedules ranging from ld 6:6 to ld 6:54 for about 6 weeks. subsequently, when transferred to ld 13:11, all birds of groups ld 6:18 and ld 6:42 went through a complete cycle of testicular growth and regression. furthermore, they carried out a postnuptial molt, indicating that they have been able to terminate photorefractoriness under these ld schedules. in contrast, no positive responses could be detected in g ... | 1989 | 2767409 |
| photoperiodic control of the development of the lhrh neurosecretory system of european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) during puberty and the onset of photorefractoriness. | the development of the reproductive system was studied in juvenile starlings during the acquisition of photosensitivity, the attainment of sexual maturation after photostimulation and the subsequent onset of photorefractoriness, using immunohistochemistry for lhrh and radioimmunoassay measurements of hypothalamic, pituitary and plasma hormone concentrations. the first stage of sexual development induced by exposure of photorefractory immature starlings to short days (8 h light:16 h darkness; 8l: ... | 1989 | 2671239 |
| relative pitch perception in the european starling (sturnus vulgaris): further evidence for an elusive phenomenon. | relative pitch perception in animals has been difficult to demonstrate. this failing is due in part to stimulus sets that make an absolute pitch solution viable. in experiment 1, starlings failed to acquire a discrimination that could be solved only on the basis of relative pitch. in experiment 2, starlings were trained on a smaller set of pitch patterns, for which both absolute and relative pitch solutions were available, then tested with three series of unreinforced probe stimuli. series 1 ass ... | 1989 | 2708939 |
| incidence of toxoplasma infection in a population of european starlings sturnus vulgaris from central england. | a sample of european starlings, sturnus vulgaris, culled from a communal roost in a city in central england, was examined for infection with toxoplasma. eleven (8%) of 133 birds were confirmed as infected after horizontal passage of brain homogenate through mice. serological examination, using the indirect and direct agglutination tests, proved unsatisfactory for screening starlings for toxoplasma infection. if the proportion of starlings infected with toxoplasma in this sample is representative ... | 1989 | 2604457 |
| physiological constraint on feeding behavior: intestinal membrane disaccharidases of the starling. | animals clearly choose what they eat and can even choose among chemically different sugars. the physiological and biochemical mechanisms that constrain feeding choices are largely unknown. in this study, european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) preferred mixture solutions of d-glucose plus d-fructose to equimolar (double molar caloric value) solutions of sucrose. intubation feeding of sucrose did not increase blood glucose levels. sucrose is a useless energy source for these birds because they lack ... | 1989 | 2916126 |
| immunohistochemical demonstration of marked changes in the lhrh system of photosensitive and photorefractory european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | immunocytochemistry was used to determine the effects of photoperiod on the lhrh neurosecretory system in the brain of male european starlings. in this species, as in other birds, reproduction is triggered by long daylengths but continued exposure leads to photorefractoriness and to a complete shut-down of the reproductive system. these effects are thought to be mediated through changes in the secretion of lhrh. in starlings exposed to a photoperiod of 11 h light:13 h darkness (11l:13d) and with ... | 1987 | 3325605 |
| [parasitic helminths of flying starlings (sturnus vulgaris l.) in their nesting area]. | 1.150 flying starlings and 226 pulli have been necropsied and their helminth parasites collected. localities where the birds has been captured are given in table 1 and the map. flying birds are parasited in the proportion of 97.1%. there are three trematodes species, eight cestodes, six nematodes and one acanthocephalan (table 2). differences are noted according with the locality, the season and the age of the bird. pulli are parasited by 47% with a very important difference between the two plac ... | 1987 | 3442446 |
| short days induce premature reproductive maturation in juvenile starlings, sturnus vulgaris. | castration of juvenile and photorefractory adult starlings caused no immediate increase in circulating concentrations of lh. in castrated juveniles and adults exposed to natural changes in daylength, plasma lh increased between mid-october and mid-november, although the increase was more rapid in adults. in castrated photorefractory adults, plasma lh increased 3-5 weeks after transfer to artificial short days (8l:16d). in castrated juvenile starlings plasma lh increased 4-6 weeks after transfer ... | 1987 | 3598969 |
| thyroidectomy of nestling starlings appears to cause neotenous sexual maturation. | nestling starlings (sturnus vulgaris) were thyroidectomized, in the wild, when 8 days old. they were later brought into captivity and hand reared on a daylength of 16h light: 8h darkness per day. thyroidectomy dramatically affected somatic development so that even at 23 weeks of age these birds retained the physical characteristics of approximately 3-week-old euthyroid birds. nevertheless, they appeared to be healthy and were active. despite retaining juvenile features, these thyroidectomized bi ... | 1987 | 3559446 |
| thermal constraints on foraging in adult european starlings. | the operative temperature of the environment was estimated for starlings using hollow, unheated taxidermic mounts. on average, adults foraging in full sun were characterized by shorter foraging bouts than those adults foraging in full shade. simultaneous observations of air temperature, operative temperature, and the foraging duration of adults indicated that air temperature was a poor predictor of the maximum length of a foraging bout. the operative temperature of the environment was not correl ... | 1987 | 28312250 |
| residues of organochlorine pesticides and polychloribiphenyls in starlings (sturnus vulgaris), from the continental united states, 1982. | starlings were collected from 129 sites throughout the contiguous united states in the fall of 1982 and analyzed for organochlorine compounds as part of a nationwide monitoring program. residues of 14 organochlorine compounds were found. only dde, polychlorobiphenyls (pcb), dieldrin, and heptachlor epoxide occurred in more than 50% of the 10-starling pools. geographical variation in the occurrence of seven organochlorine compounds was noted. mean dde levels were higher in the southwestern united ... | 1987 | 24253771 |
| otoacoustic emissions in a song bird. | synchronously evoked otoacoustic emissions (seoaes) were found in about two thirds (61%) of 56 ears of the starling sturnus vulgaris. they appeared with rather broad synchronization widths (about 200 hz) and predominantly at frequencies in the upper half of the hearing range of this bird. seoaes varied in level from below -30 db to 2 db spl and showed typically nonlinear intensity functions. the emissions were present even following extirpation of the middle-ear muscle and could be suppressed by ... | 1987 | 3583927 |
| circannual variations in plasma luteinizing hormone levels in castrated male european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | intact and castrated male european starlings were held for about 2 years in a constant 12-hr photoperiod and constant temperature conditions. at 1- to 2-month intervals, testicular width was measured by laparotomy, and blood samples were taken for analysis of plasma luteinizing hormone (lh). most of the control birds went through at least one circannual cycle of testicular width and plasma lh concentration. in the castrates, a similar proportion of birds went through circannual lh cycles with pe ... | 1987 | 2979662 |
| differential effects of pinealectomy on circadian rhythms of feeding and perch hopping in the european starling. | to study the effects of pinealectomy on the circadian rhythms of locomotor activity and feeding. european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) were held in constant light (0.2 lux and 200 lux) and under constant temperature conditions. locomotor activity was measured by means of perches with microswitches mounted underneath, and feeding with an infrared photocell system at the feeder. pinealectomy consistently led to disturbances in perch-hopping rhythms and often to a complete loss of rhythmicity as re ... | 1987 | 2979653 |
| perception of missing fundamental by a species of songbird (sturnus vulgaris). | two experiments investigated whether a species of songbird perceives missing fundamentals in sounds containing complex frequencies. in experiment 1, european starlings were trained to discriminate between two sinusoids. this discrimination persisted when the sinusoids were replaced with waveforms composed solely of four consecutive higher harmonics of the training frequencies. in experiment 2, starlings trained to discriminate between two complex frequencies consisting of sets of higher harmonic ... | 1986 | 3802780 |
| a psychophysical measure of pitch discrimination loss resulting from a frequency range constraint in european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | earlier research (hulse & cynx, 1985) revealed that a number of species of songbirds acquired a pitch discrimination between rising and falling sequences in an arbitrarily defined training range of frequencies, but then failed to generalize the discrimination to new frequency ranges--a frequency range constraint. the two experiments here provide a psychophysical estimate of how pitch discrimination deteriorated in one species as sequences were stepped out from the training range. the gradient sh ... | 1986 | 3772303 |
| daily rhythm of sleep-wakefulness in the starling, sturnus vulgaris. | wakefulness (w), slow wave sleep (sws) and paradoxical sleep (ps) were recorded electrographically in four captive starlings sturnus vulgaris under natural lighting conditions. starling males slept considerably less than females in the period following sleep onset. the hourly percentage and episode durations of sws slightly increased in the course of the night. the percentage of ps was highest during the first half of the night, then exhibited a decreasing trend. the episode durations of ps show ... | 2003 | 3591363 |
| seasonal changes in testicular size and in plasma follicle-stimulating hormone and prolactin concentrations in thyroidectomized male and thyroidectomized castrated starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | testicular size and plasma concentrations of fsh and prolactin were measured frequently in thyroidectomized male and thyroidectomized castrated starlings kept in outdoor aviaries during 1 year. in thyroidectomized males, testes increased from minimal to maximal size during march, remained large until june, and then decreased slowly during the next 6 months. plasma fsh increased to a peak in april (126 micrograms/litre) and then declined slightly. plasma fsh in thyroidectomized castrates was very ... | 1986 | 3095176 |
| endocrine changes associated with the termination of photorefractoriness by short daylengths and thyroidectomy in starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | when starlings (sturnus vulgaris) are transferred from short to long days, hypothalamic content of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (gnrh) and pituitary gonadotrophin content eventually decrease, as birds become photorefractory, to values lower than they were on short days. this implies that both should increase as photorefractoriness is terminated some time after transfer from long to short days. further, since thyroidectomy causes termination of photorefractoriness in birds held on long days, t ... | 1986 | 3090185 |
| influence of habitat and season on foraging flock composition in the european starling (sturnus vulgaris). | this study examines the relative importance of habitat and season in determining size and composition of foraging flocks of european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). we hypothesized that if season was the principal determinant of flock size, variation across seasons (within habitat) would be greater than variation across habitats (within season). the calendar year was divided into 6 seasons corresponding to major stages in the annual cycle of starlings. after measuring the availibility of 15 foragi ... | 1985 | 28311039 |
| time-budgeting by starlings sturnus vulgaris: time minimizing, energy maximizing and the annual cycle organization. | in seasonal environments, time often constrains the timing and duration of processes in annual cycles of animals both on the diel and annual basis. therefore, the allocation of time e.g. to foraging, resting and breeding behaviours should be true adaptations to the particular circumstances the animals experience.in the present study, time budgets were established for two north scandinavian starling (sturnus vulgaris) populations (andøya, norway and umeå, sweden) with fundamentally different annu ... | 1985 | 28311565 |
| sleep pattern in the starling (sturnus vulgaris). | electrographic and behavioural observations were conducted on two male and two female captive starlings (sturnus vulgaris) under natural illumination conditions during autumn. polygraphically sleep and wakefulness of starling were similar to those of other birds. starling's total sleep (ts) and slow wave sleep (sws) lasted 39.0 +/- 1.4% and 38.3 +/- 1.7% of the 24-h period respectively. paradoxical sleep (ps) was 1.8 +/- 0.2% of the total sleep time. the mean durations individual of ts, sws and ... | 2003 | 3837600 |
| thyroidectomy results in termination of photorefractoriness in starlings (sturnus vulgaris) kept in long daylengths. | four groups of 10 male starlings were transferred from short daylengths (8 h light/day) to long daylengths (18 h light/day), which caused the tests to develop rapidly to maximum size and then to decrease to minimal size as birds became photorefractory. birds were surgically thyroidectomized at 8, 16 or 28 weeks. a fourth group was left intact. testicular volume and plasma fsh and prolactin concentrations were measured. after 42 weeks all birds were castrated and plasma fsh was measured during th ... | 1985 | 3930712 |
| hypothalamic gonadotrophin-releasing hormone and pituitary and plasma fsh and prolactin during photostimulation and photorefractoriness in intact and thyroidectomized starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | changes in concentrations of hypothalamic gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (gnrh) and pituitary and plasma fsh and prolactin were measured in intact and thyroidectomized female starlings (sturnus vulgaris) after transfer from short to long photoperiods. in intact birds, hypothalamic gnrh did not increase significantly during the first 6 weeks of photo-stimulation, but by 12 weeks, as birds became photorefractory, it had decreased to levels significantly lower than those before photostimulation. i ... | 1985 | 3921645 |
| the ultrastructure of the epithelium of the ductuli efferentes testis in the common starling (sturnus vulgaris). | the ductuli efferentes of male common starlings (sturnus vulgaris) were prepared for light and electron microscopy. the epithelium of breeding birds was pseudostratified, consisting of ciliated cells, which were of the same type throughout the ductules, and of two types of non-ciliated cells: an electron-dense form with complex lateral invaginations, long microvilli and apical invaginations found in proximal ductuli efferentes (type 1 a) and a less dense, taller, seemingly more secretory cell fo ... | 1985 | 4077685 |
| sensitivity of nestling and adult starlings to dicrotophos, an organophosphate pesticide. | the 24-hr median lethal dose (ld50) of dicrotophos (3-hydroxy-n,n-dimethyl-cis-crotonamide dimethyl phosphate) for free-living 5-day-old nestling european starlings (sturnus vulgaris, ld50 = 4.92 mg/kg body wt) was about one-half that obtained for free-living 15-day-old nestlings (9.59 mg/kg) and captive adult males (8.37 mg/kg) and females (8.47 mg/kg). nestlings and adults with low pretreatment body weights appeared to be more vulnerable to organophosphate (op) exposure. brain cholinesterase ( ... | 1984 | 6510394 |
| changes in plasma thyroxine concentrations in male and female starlings (sturnus vulgaris) during a photo-induced gonadal cycle. | previous studies have shown that the thyroid must be important during the onset of photorefractoriness because thyroidectomised starlings (sturnus vulgaris) do not become photorefractory. therefore, to determine changes in plasma thyroxine during the onset of photorefractoriness, starlings were kept on photoperiods which induce photorefractoriness at different rates. four groups of males and females were transferred from 8 hr light:16 hr darkness (8l:16d) to either 18l:6d, 13l:11d, 11l:13d, or 8 ... | 1984 | 6510682 |
| the nerves of the accessory pancreatic ducts of the common starling (sturnus vulgaris): an ultrastructural and light microscopic study. | an ultrastructural and light microscopic study was undertaken to examine the nerves of the accessory pancreatic ducts of the starling (sturnus vulgaris), previously noted (vinnicombe, 1982) to have a particularly dense innervation. large numbers of nerves were found in the ducts, predominantly in the lamina propria, and all contained exclusively unmyelinated axons. probable neuron cell bodies were observed in the smooth muscle layer, but not in the lamina propria. schwann cells invested all the ... | 1984 | 6490527 |
| thyroxine induces photorefractoriness and stimulates prolactin secretion in european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | when subjected to 11 h daylengths starlings do not become photorefractory and remain reproductively mature indefinitely. male birds kept in these conditions were treated for 5 weeks with thyroxine, administered in the drinking water at a concentration of 0.056 m mol/l. by the end of this period, their testes had fully regressed and they were then transferred to 18 h daylengths. no subsequent testicular development was noted and the birds were apparently photorefractory. several other phenomena c ... | 1984 | 6707549 |
| effects of gonadectomy on seasonal changes in plasma lh and prolactin concentrations in male and female starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | intact and gonadectomized male and female starlings (sturnus vulgaris) were held in outdoor aviaries for 1 year. blood samples were taken frequently and assayed for lh and prolactin, and intact males were laparotomized to determine testis size. changes in testis size in intact males were similar to those in wild starlings with maximum size during april. hormone levels in intact males and females also followed a similar pattern to those in wild birds although absolute levels were somewhat lower. ... | 1984 | 6693831 |
| the accessory pancreatic ducts of the starling sturnus vulgaris: an ultrastructural and light microscopic study. | wild starlings (sturnus vulgaris) were utilised for a study of the small accessory pancreatic ducts that pass from the pancreas to the loop of the duodenum. these ducts do not appear to have been described before in the literature. each duct was composed of an epithelial lining of a main cell type, which had small numbers of two other cell types intermixed. a lamina propria consisting of a loose collagenous network, richly endowed with a thick nerve plexus, separated the epithelium from the musc ... | 1983 | 6630045 |
| plasma corticosterone in wild starlings (sturnus vulgaris) immediately following capture and in relation to body weight during the annual cycle. | free-living starlings (sturnus vulgaris) were caught by mist netting. blood samples were taken from them between 20 sec and 4 min after capture and assayed for corticosterone. before 1 min corticosterone levels were constant (10.3 nmol litre-1) but after 1 min they increased rapidly (27.0 +/- 3.6 nmol litre-1 min-1). male and female free-living starlings were caught throughout the year with mist nets, and traps placed in nest boxes. blood samples were taken within 1 min of capture and body weigh ... | 1983 | 6618160 |
| residues of organochlorine compounds in starlings (sturnus vulgaris), 1979. | starlings were collected for the national pesticides monitoring program from 112 sites throughout the contiguous united states and analyzed for organochlorine compounds. starling samples from 14 sites had greater than 1.0 ppm dde residues with the highest dde level being 15.8 ppm in a sample taken near roswell, new mexico. the occurrence of pcbs and chlordane isomers increased since the 1976 collection, but ddt, dde, and dieldrin occurrence decreased. dde and dieldrin levels decreased since the ... | 1983 | 24258933 |
| the histology and fine structure of the ureter of the european starling (sturnus vulgaris). | light and electron microscopic techniques were employed to study the structure of the ureter of the starling (sturnus vulgaris). particular attention was paid to the characterisation of the epithelial cell types. differences were found in the chemical composition of the mucins found in the ureteric epithelial cells and the medullary collecting ducts, which suggested that they might perform different functions. the epithelial cells were of two main types. the basally situated cells were electron- ... | 1983 | 6885620 |
| plasma prolactin and gonadotrophins during gonadal development and the onset of photorefractoriness in male and female starlings (sturnus vulgaris) on artificial photoperiods. | previous studies have shown that an increase in prolactin secretion coincides with the beginning of the photorefractory phase in starlings (sturnus vulgaris). to determine how closely this increase is associated with the onset of refractoriness, we kept starlings on photoperiods which would induce refractoriness at different rates. four groups of males and females were transferred from 8h light:16h darkness (8l:16d) to either 18l:6d, 13l:11d, 11l:13d or 8l:16d. weekly blood samples were assayed ... | 1983 | 6406634 |
| electrophoretic profiles of esterases in starling (sturnus vulgaris) plasma: an apparent simple genetic variant. | | 1983 | 6850124 |
| plasma gonadal steroid levels in wild starlings (sturnus vulgaris) during the annual cycle and in relation to the stages of breeding. | blood samples were collected from male and female free-living starlings in every month during the year and at all stages of the breeding cycle. the samples from females were assayed for oestradiol-17 beta, oestrone, and progesterone, and the samples from males were assayed for testosterone and 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone. the testicular weights were recorded. all hormones other than oestrone showed a pronounced unimodal cycle. in females, oestradiol was highest in april, corresponding to the per ... | 1983 | 6840523 |
| plasma prolactin and luteinizing hormone during photoperiodically induced testicular growth and regression in starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | | 1982 | 7160614 |
| micropuncture of superficial nephrons in avian (sturnus vulgaris) kidney. | single nephron glomerular filtration rate (sngfr), fluid absorption, and tubule transport of sodium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphate were evaluated under control (2.5% mannitol infusion) conditions by micropuncture of superficial, reptilian-type nephrons of european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). sngfr averaged 0.36 nl . min-1 . sodium, chloride, and water were transported at equivalent rates with about 24% of the filtered load absorbed up to the point of micropuncture. cal ... | 1982 | 7149025 |
| prolactin and gonadotrophin secretion in wild starlings (sturnus vulgaris) during the annual cycle and in relation to nesting, incubation, and rearing young. | | 1982 | 6814982 |
| the ultrastructure of the centroacinar cells within the pancreas of the starling (sturnus vulgaris). | tissues from the dorsal lobe of the pancreas of 8 starlings (sturnus vulgaris) were examined electron microscopically using conventionally prepared samples. centroacinar cells were distinguished from exocrine pancreas cells by differences in size, shape, distribution, position and zymogen granule content. the centroacinar cells closely resembled ductal cells and were separated from them only by position. both electron-lucent and electron-dense forms of centroacinar cells were observed. centroaci ... | 1982 | 7130051 |
| the microanatomy of the distal tubules, collecting tubules and collecting ducts of the starling kidney. | light and electron microscopic techniques were employed to characterise the various cell types found in the distal tubules, collecting tubules and collecting ducts in the kidneys of wild starlings (sturnus vulgaris). there was a gradual change in cell characteristics along the length of the distal tubule. a short transition zone was identified, between the distal tubule and the intralobular collecting tubule, which contained cell types that were characteristic of both segments. the end of the di ... | 1982 | 7076536 |
| cell types of the auditory caudomedial neostriatum of the starling (sturnus vulgaris). | cell types of the auditory neostriatum in the starling forebrain are described. this area in the caudal neostriatum is defined neurophysiologically by the appearance of auditory neurons. through use of the rapid golgi technique, four types of neurons are identified, mainly on the basis of their processes: neurons with long descending axons and thick dendrites rich in spines (type 1), neurons with long ascending axons and thin dendrites poor in spines (type 2), short-axon neurons (type 3), and mi ... | 1981 | 7240442 |
| seasonal changes in testosterone metabolism in the pituitary gland and central nervous system of the european starling (sturnus vulgaris). | | 1981 | 7227813 |
| innervation of the parathyroid in the european starling (sturnus vulgaris). | anatomical studies were conducted to characterize the source, type, and distribution of parathyroid gland innervation in european starlings. denervation experiments demonstrated that the parathyroid glands and adjacent carotid bodies are innervated by nerve fibers originating in the nodose ganglion of the vagus nerve. in the parathyroid parenchyma, these fibers terminate adjacent to chief cells or near vascular smooth muscle. vagal fibers also form synapses with catecholamine-containing glomus c ... | 1980 | 7452732 |
| calcitonin stimulation of urine flow and sodium excretion in the starling. | renal effects of synthetic salmon calcitonin (ct) were examined in normal and parathyroidectomized (ptx) starlings, sturnus vulgaris. standard clearance studies were performed. anesthetized birds were infused with [14c]-inulin in 2.5% mannitol containing either 0.25% gelatin alone as a control, or gelatin plus ct (2 iu ct/h; armour). in intact starlings, ct significantly increased urine flow and relative clearance of sodium (cna/cin). cca/cin was significantly elevated only 40 min after start of ... | 1980 | 7377379 |