| microsporidiosis in a gouldian finch (erythrura [chloebia] gouldiae). | a 12-day-old nestling gouldian finch (erythrura [chloebia] gouldiae) was presented for investigation of a mortality problem in nestling finches raised by bengalese finch foster parents. on histological examination, large numbers of spores consistent with a microsporidian organism were present within the small intestinal mucosa. electron microscopy and molecular studies (sequencing the 5' end of the ssu rrna gene) further defined the organism as encephalitozoon hellem. sequence homology with othe ... | 2002 | 12180877 |
| interspecific variation in dietary carotenoid assimilation in birds: links to phylogeny and color ornamentation. | many birds use carotenoid pigments to acquire rich red, orange, and yellow coloration in feathers and bare parts that is used as a signal of mate quality. because carotenoids are derived from foods, much attention has been paid to the role of diet in generating color variation both within and among avian species. less consideration has been given to physiological underpinnings of color variability, especially among species. here, i surveyed published literature (e.g. captive feeding studies) on ... | 2005 | 16129640 |
| real-time contributions of auditory feedback to avian vocal motor control. | songbirds and humans both rely critically on hearing for learning and maintaining accurate vocalizations. evidence strongly indicates that auditory feedback contributes in real time to human speech, but similar contributions of feedback to birdsong remain unclear. here, we assessed real-time influences of auditory feedback on bengalese finch song using a computerized system to detect targeted syllables as they were being sung and to disrupt feedback transiently at short and precisely controlled ... | 2006 | 16988032 |
| expression analysis of cadherins in the songbird brain: relationship to vocal system development. | songbirds learn their songs as juveniles. the brains of songbirds have a series of nuclei and neural circuits called the song system, which is indispensable for vocal learning and production. in the present study we analyzed the expression patterns of cell adhesion molecules, cadherins, in the bengalese finch (lonchura striata var. domestica) to investigate their potential involvement in song nuclei and neural circuit formation. we found that cadherin-6b was expressed in many song nuclei of the ... | 2008 | 18322922 |
| vocal control area-related expression of neuropilin-1, plexin-a4, and the ligand semaphorin-3a has implications for the evolution of the avian vocal system. | the avian vocal system is a good model for exploring the molecular basis of neural circuit evolution related to behavioral diversity. previously, we conducted a comparative gene expression analysis among two different families of vocal learner, the bengalese finch (lonchura striata var. domestica), a songbird, and the budgerigar (melopsittacus undulatus), a parrot; and a non-learner, the quail (coturnix coturnix), to identify various axon guidance molecules such as cadherin and neuropilin-1 as v ... | 2009 | 19128404 |
| age-related changes in the bengalese finch song motor program. | it is well established that there are remarkable similarities between song learning in oscine birds and acquisition of speech in young children. human speech shows marked changes with senescence, but few studies have evaluated how song changes with advanced age in songbirds. to investigate the effect of old age on song, we compared song of old bengalese finches (lonchura striata domestica) with that of middle-aged birds. the main observed difference was a decrease in the song tempo, largely due ... | 2010 | 20570409 |
| linked control of syllable sequence and phonology in birdsong. | the control of sequenced behaviors, including human speech, requires that the brain coordinate the production of discrete motor elements with their concatenation into complex patterns. in birdsong, another sequential vocal behavior, the acoustic structure (phonology) of individual song elements, or "syllables," must be coordinated with the sequencing of syllables into a song. however, it is unknown whether syllable phonology is independent of the sequence in which a syllable is produced. we quan ... | 2010 | 20881112 |
| comparative gene expression analysis among vocal learners (bengalese finch and budgerigar) and non-learners (quail and ring dove) reveals variable cadherin expressions in the vocal system. | birds use various vocalizations to communicate with one another, and some are acquired through learning. so far, three families of birds (songbirds, parrots, and hummingbirds) have been identified as having vocal learning ability. previously, we found that cadherins, a large family of cell-adhesion molecules, show vocal control-area-related expression in a songbird, the bengalese finch. to investigate the molecular basis of evolution in avian species, we conducted comparative analysis of cadheri ... | 2011 | 21541260 |
| complementary deoxyribonucleic acid cloning of avian g0/g1 switch gene 2, and its expression and association with production traits in chicken. | as a member of the g0/g1 switch genes, g0/g1 switch gene 2 (g0s2) is related to many regulatory processes in the human and mouse. for example, it interacts directly with adipose triglyceride lipase to active its triglyceride hydrolysis activities. in this study, g0s2 gene cdna of the chicken (522 bp), zebra finch (420 bp), sparrow (417 bp), pigeon (417 bp), and bengalese finch (416 bp) were cloned, and each of them was encoded as a protein of 99 amino acids. the expression of g0s2 mrna was deter ... | 2011 | 21673171 |
| songbirds possess the spontaneous ability to discriminate syntactic rules. | whether the computational systems in language perception involve specific abilities in humans is debated. the vocalizations of songbirds share many features with human speech, but whether songbirds possess a similar computational ability to process auditory information as humans is unknown. we analyzed their spontaneous discrimination of auditory stimuli and found that the bengalese finch (lonchura striata var. domestica) can use the syntactical information processing of syllables to discriminat ... | 2011 | 21706017 |
| Cryptosporidium spp. parasitize exotic birds that are commercialized in markets, commercial aviaries, and pet shops. | The purpose of this study was to genetically characterize and phylogenetically analyze the Cryptosporidium spp. isolated from exotic birds commercialized in popular markets, commercial aviaries, and pet shops located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Fecal samples from individually housed birds were collected and subjected to centrifuge-flotation technique using saturated sugar solution. DNA was isolated from Cryptosporidium positive samples, and 18S subunit rDNA was amplified and processed using neste ... | 2011 | 21922240 |
| complex sequencing rules of birdsong can be explained by simple hidden markov processes. | complex sequencing rules observed in birdsongs provide an opportunity to investigate the neural mechanism for generating complex sequential behaviors. to relate the findings from studying birdsongs to other sequential behaviors such as human speech and musical performance, it is crucial to characterize the statistical properties of the sequencing rules in birdsongs. however, the properties of the sequencing rules in birdsongs have not yet been fully addressed. in this study, we investigate the s ... | 2011 | 21915345 |
| Comparative analysis of mineralocorticoid receptor expression among vocal learners (Bengalese finch and budgerigar) and non-vocal learners (quail and ring dove) has implications for the evolution of avian vocal learning. | Mineralocorticoid receptor is the receptor for corticosteroids such as corticosterone or aldosterone. Previously, we found that mineralocorticoid receptor was highly expressed in song nuclei of a songbird, Bengalese finch (Lonchura striata var. domestica). Here, to examine the relationship between mineralocorticoid receptor expression and avian vocal learning, we analyzed mineralocorticoid receptor expression in the developing brain of another vocal learner, budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) ... | 2011 | 22010640 |
| Dynamic expression of cadherins regulates vocal development in a songbird. | Since, similarly to humans, songbirds learn their vocalization through imitation during their juvenile stage, they have often been used as model animals to study the mechanisms of human verbal learning. Numerous anatomical and physiological studies have suggested that songbirds have a neural network called 'song system' specialized for vocal learning and production in their brain. However, it still remains unknown what molecular mechanisms regulate their vocal development. It has been suggested ... | 2011 | 21949888 |
| comparative analysis of protocadherin-11 x-linked expression among postnatal rodents, non-human primates, and songbirds suggests its possible involvement in brain evolution. | protocadherin-11 is a cell adhesion molecule of the cadherin superfamily. since, only in humans, its paralog is found on the y chromosome, it is expected that protocadherin-11x/y plays some role in human brain evolution or sex differences. recently, a genetic mutation of protocadherin-11x/y was reported to be associated with a language development disorder. here, we compared the expression of protocadherin-11 x-linked in developing postnatal brains of mouse (rodent) and common marmoset (non-huma ... | 2013 | 23527036 |
| comparison of learning ability and memory retention in altricial (bengalese finch, lonchura striata var. domestica) and precocial (blue-breasted quail, coturnix chinensis) birds using a color discrimination task. | the present study sought to assess the potential application of avian models with different developmental modes to studies on cognition and neuroscience. six altricial bengalese finches (lonchura striata var. domestica), and eight precocial blue-breasted quails (coturnix chinensis) were presented with color discrimination tasks to compare their respective faculties for learning and memory retention within the context of the two developmental modes. tasks consisted of presenting birds with discri ... | 2014 | 23865600 |
| sex chromosome linkage of mate preference and color signal maintains assortative mating between interbreeding finch morphs. | assortative mating is a key aspect in the speciation process because it is important for both initial divergence and maintenance of distinct species. however, it remains a challenge to explain how assortative mating evolves when diverging populations are undergoing gene flow (e.g., during hybridization). here i experimentally test how assortative mating is maintained with frequent gene flow between diverged head-color morphs of the gouldian finch (erythrura gouldiae). contrary to the predominant ... | 2010 | 19922444 |
| animal vocal sequences: not the markov chains we thought they were. | many animals produce vocal sequences that appear complex. most researchers assume that these sequences are well characterized as markov chains (i.e. that the probability of a particular vocal element can be calculated from the history of only a finite number of preceding elements). however, this assumption has never been explicitly tested. furthermore, it is unclear how language could evolve in a single step from a markovian origin, as is frequently assumed, as no intermediate forms have been fo ... | 2014 | 25143037 |
| imprinting and the origin of parasite-host species associations in brood-parasitic indigobirds, vidua chalybeata. | brood-parasitic village indigobirds, vidua chalybeata, were bred in captivity and foster-reared by their normal host species, the red-billed firefinch, lagonosticta senegala, or by an experimental foster species, the bengalese finch, lonchura striata. captive-reared female indigobirds were tested as adults for mate choice and for host choice. in tests of mate choice, female indigobirds responded preferentially towards mimicry songs of male indigobirds that were similar to those of the females' o ... | 2000 | 10640368 |
| song learning in brood-parasitic indigobirds vidua chalybeata: song mimicry of the host species. | brood-parasitic village indigobirds, vidua chalybeata, were bred in captivity and foster-reared by their normal host, red-billed firefinch, lagonosticta senegala, or by an experimental foster species, bengalese finch, lonchura striata. male indigobirds reared by bengalese finches developed the songs of bengalese finches, and males reared by firefinches developed songs of firefinches. males copied their foster father only when they had lived with him long after independence (45 days post-fledging ... | 1998 | 9641999 |
| characterization and cross-species amplification of microsatellite markers in african silverbill (lonchura cantans). | we tested the cross-amplification of eight microsatellites developed for bengalese finch in african silverbill (lonchura cantans). in order to develop resources for conservation genetic studies in the species l. cantans, we tested the amplification success and polymorphism in eight previously developed microsatellite loci, in l. cantans. all eight microsatellite markers were successfully amplified, of which all were polymorphic, with 3 to 9 alleles and an expected heterozygosity (he) ranging fro ... | 2013 | 24301932 |
| effects of background noise on acoustic characteristics of bengalese finch songs. | online regulation of vocalization in response to auditory feedback is one of the essential issues for vocal communication. one such audio-vocal interaction is the lombard effect, an involuntary increase in vocal amplitude in response to the presence of background noise. along with vocal amplitude, other acoustic characteristics, including fundamental frequency (f0), also change in some species. bengalese finches (lonchura striata var. domestica) are a suitable model for comparative, ethological, ... | 2016 | 28040000 |
| social memory formation rapidly and differentially affects the motivation and performance of vocal communication signals in the bengalese finch (lonchura striata var. domestica). | cognitive processes like the formation of social memories can shape the nature of social interactions between conspecifics. male songbirds use vocal signals during courtship interactions with females, but the degree to which social memory and familiarity influences the likelihood and structure of male courtship song remains largely unknown. using a habituation-dishabituation paradigm, we found that a single, brief (<30 s) exposure to a female led to the formation of a short-term memory for that ... | 2016 | 27378868 |
| hvc contributes toward conspecific contact call responding in male bengalese finches. | the processes of producing and acquiring birdsong, like human speech, utilize interdependent neural systems for vocal learning and production. in addition to song, these brain areas are undoubtedly used for other affiliative behaviors. oscine sound production is lateralized because their vocal organ contains two independently controlled sound sources. therefore, songbirds offer a unique opportunity to study the biological relevance of lateralized behavioral control. bengalese finches (lonchura s ... | 2016 | 27014861 |
| dopaminergic contributions to vocal learning. | although the brain relies on auditory information to calibrate vocal behavior, the neural substrates of vocal learning remain unclear. here we demonstrate that lesions of the dopaminergic inputs to a basal ganglia nucleus in a songbird species (bengalese finches, lonchura striata var. domestica) greatly reduced the magnitude of vocal learning driven by disruptive auditory feedback in a negative reinforcement task. these lesions produced no measureable effects on the quality of vocal performance ... | 2016 | 26888928 |
| variability in the temporal parameters in the song of the bengalese finch (lonchura striata var. domestica). | birdsong provides a unique model for studying the control mechanisms of complex sequential behaviors. the present study aimed to demonstrate that multiple factors affect temporal control in the song production. we analyzed the song of bengalese finches in various time ranges to address factors that affected the duration of acoustic elements (notes) and silent intervals (gaps). the gaps showed more jitter across song renditions than did notes. gaps had longer duration in branching points of song ... | 2015 | 26512015 |
| male mate preferences in mutual mate choice: finches modulate their songs across and within male-female interactions. | male songbirds use song to advertise their attractiveness as potential mates, and the properties of those songs have a powerful influence on female mate preferences. one idea is that males may exert themselves maximally in each song performance, consistent with female evaluation and formation of mate preferences being the primary contributors to mate choice. alternatively, males may modulate their song behaviour to different degrees in the presence of different females, consistent with both male ... | 2014 | 25242817 |
| behavioral and neural trade-offs between song complexity and stress reaction in a wild and a domesticated finch strain. | the bengalese finch is the domesticated strain of the wild white-rumped munia. bengalese finches have been domesticated and reproductively isolated for over 250 years from the wild strain. during this period, the courtship songs of the domesticated birds became phonologically and syntactically complex. in addition, psychological and physiological stress reactions to environmental and social factors diverged between the two strains. based on our behavioral and histological studies, we consider th ... | 2014 | 25092250 |
| vocal generalization depends on gesture identity and sequence. | generalization, the brain's ability to transfer motor learning from one context to another, occurs in a wide range of complex behaviors. however, the rules of generalization in vocal behavior are poorly understood, and it is unknown how vocal learning generalizes across an animal's entire repertoire of natural vocalizations and sequences. here, we asked whether generalization occurs in a nonhuman vocal learner and quantified its properties. we hypothesized that adaptive error correction of a voc ... | 2014 | 24741046 |
| a simple explanation for the evolution of complex song syntax in bengalese finches. | the songs of bengalese finches (lonchura striata var. domestica) have complex syntax and provide an opportunity to investigate how complex sequential behaviour emerges via the evolutionary process. in this study, we suggest that a simple mechanism, i.e. many-to-one mapping from internal states onto syllables, may underlie the emergence of apparent complex syllable sequences that have higher order history dependencies. we analysed the songs of bengalese finches and of their wild ancestor, the whi ... | 2013 | 24284561 |
| the impact of domestication on fearfulness: a comparison of tonic immobility reactions in wild and domesticated finches. | we examined differences in the fear response between bengalese finches and their wild ancestor, the white-backed munia, to explore the evolutionary mechanisms of behavioural changes due to domestication. the bengalese finch (lonchura striata var. domestica) was domesticated from the wild-living white-backed munia (l. striata) approximately 250 years ago. a previous study indicated that bengalese finches sing much more complex songs than white-backed munias. we hypothesised that bengalese finches ... | 2013 | 23962671 |
| stepwise acquisition of vocal combinatorial capacity in songbirds and human infants. | human language, as well as birdsong, relies on the ability to arrange vocal elements in new sequences. however, little is known about the ontogenetic origin of this capacity. here we track the development of vocal combinatorial capacity in three species of vocal learners, combining an experimental approach in zebra finches (taeniopygia guttata) with an analysis of natural development of vocal transitions in bengalese finches (lonchura striata domestica) and pre-lingual human infants. we find a c ... | 2013 | 23719373 |
| differential androgen receptor expression and dna methylation state in striatum song nucleus area x between wild and domesticated songbird strains. | in songbirds, a specialized neural system, the song system, is responsible for acquisition and expression of species-specific vocal patterns. we report evidence for differential gene expression between wild and domesticated strains having different learned vocal phenotypes. a domesticated strain of the wild white-rumped munia, the bengalese finch, has a distinct song pattern with a more complicated syntax than the wild strain. we identified differential androgen receptor (ar) expression in basal ... | 2013 | 23701473 |
| exploring vocal recovery after cranial nerve injury in bengalese finches. | songbirds and humans use auditory feedback to acquire and maintain their vocalizations. the bengalese finch (lonchura striata domestica) is a songbird species that rapidly modifies its vocal output to adhere to an internal song memory. in this species, the left side of the bipartite vocal organ is specialized for producing louder, higher frequencies (≥2.2khz) and denervation of the left vocal muscles eliminates these notes. thus, the return of higher frequency notes after cranial nerve injury ca ... | 2013 | 23276640 |
| decreased fecal corticosterone levels due to domestication: a comparison between the white-backed munia (lonchura striata) and its domesticated strain, the bengalese finch (lonchura striata var. domestica) with a suggestion for complex song evolution. | the bengalese finch (bf; lonchura striata var. domestica) is a domesticated strain of the white-backed munia (wbm; lonchura striata). environmental stresses activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (hpa) axis and release corticosterone (cort). we hypothesized that domesticated songbirds have reduced cort levels because of reduced levels of environmental stresses (compared to wild conditions) and reductions in the role of cort, which is necessary for survival in the wild. however, no study has ... | 2012 | 22927235 |
| syringeal specialization of frequency control during song production in the bengalese finch (lonchura striata domestica). | singing in songbirds is a complex, learned behavior which shares many parallels with human speech. the avian vocal organ (syrinx) has two potential sound sources, and each sound generator is under unilateral, ipsilateral neural control. different songbird species vary in their use of bilateral or unilateral phonation (lateralized sound production) and rapid switching between left and right sound generation (interhemispheric switching of motor control). bengalese finches (lonchura striata domesti ... | 2012 | 22479543 |
| sequential learning and rule abstraction in bengalese finches. | the bengalese finch (lonchura striata var. domestica) is a species of songbird. males sing courtship songs with complex note-to-note transition rules, while females discriminate these songs when choosing their mate. the present study uses serial reaction time (rt) to examine the characteristics of the bengalese finches' sequential behaviours beyond song production. the birds were trained to produce the sequence with an "a-b-a" structure. after the rt to each key position was determined to be sta ... | 2012 | 21952988 |
| a direct neuronal connection between the telencephalic nucleus robustus arcopallialis and the nucleus nervi hypoglossi, pars tracheosyringealis in bengalese finches (lonchura striata var. domestica). | bird species with vocal learning possess a projection from the telencephalic nucleus to the nucleus nervi hypoglossi, pars tracheosyringealis (xiits) in the medulla, where a final common pathway that controls the vocal organ, i.e., the synrinx, originates. the anatomical basis of this projection has not been well investigated in one species of songbird, the bengalese finch (lonchura striata var. domestica). the present study used anterograde and retrograde tracing experiments to examine and desc ... | 2011 | 21945522 |
| spermiophagy in the male reproductive tract of some passerine birds. | in order to elucidate the locus and means of spermiophagy in passerine birds, we examined histologically the entire male reproductive tract of sexually mature birds of three passerine species with different forms of sperm competition, namely, the alpine accentor (prunella collaris), the redflanked bush robin (tarsiger cyanurus), and the bengalese finch (lonchura striata var. domestica). spermiophagy occurred consistently and frequently in the epithelial layer of the seminal glomera and ejaculato ... | 2011 | 21882958 |
| expression patterns of mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors in bengalese finch (lonchura striata var. domestica) brain suggest a relationship between stress hormones and song-system development. | much evidence suggests that song traits function as an honest signal of male quality during mate choice in songbirds. because songbirds learn vocalizations during the juvenile stage, development of the song system and song traits is affected by stressful conditions. however, it remains unknown how stressful conditions affect later song traits during development. to explore the relationship between glucocorticoids and song-system development, we performed in situ hybridization analysis of the glu ... | 2011 | 21851851 |
| molecular characterization of the song control nucleus hvc in bengalese finch brain. | songbirds have a specialized neural substrate for learned vocalization, called the song circuit, which consists of several song nuclei in the brain. the song control nucleus hvc (a letter-based name) is the intersection point of the song learning and vocal motor pathways. knowledge of the types of genes expressed in the hvc is essential in understanding the molecular aspects of the hvc. gene expression in the hvc under silent conditions shows the competence necessary for singing. to investigate ... | 2010 | 20846513 |
| identification of male-biased gene: parvalbumin in song control nuclei of the bengalese finch. | sex differences in song nuclei are evident across songbirds. to explore candidate genes involving in the sexual dimorphism of song nuclei, the present study used suppression subtraction hybridization to identify male-biased genes in the bengalese finch (lonchura striata). from 199 clones with an inserted sequence, we obtained a gene (parvalbumin, pv) coding a calcium-binding protein, which showed, through semi-quantitative pcr, obviously male-biased expression. in situ hybridization and immunohi ... | 2010 | 20566402 |
| the disassociation of visual and acoustic conspecific cues decreases discrimination by female zebra finches (taeniopygia guttata). | female zebra finches (taeniopygia guttata) use visual and acoustic traits for accurate recognition of male conspecifics. evidence from video playbacks confirms that both sensory modalities are important for conspecific and species discrimination, but experimental evidence of the individual roles of these cue types affecting live conspecific recognition is limited. in a spatial paradigm to test discrimination, the authors used live male zebra finch stimuli of 2 color morphs, wild-type (conspecifi ... | 2009 | 19685973 |
| cross-fostering diminishes song discrimination in zebra finches (taeniopygia guttata). | song-production, -discrimination, and -preferences in oscine birds are dually influenced by species identity and the ontogenetic environment. the cross-fostering of a model species for recognition research, the zebra finch (taeniopygia guttata) into heterospecific nests of the bengalese finch (lonchura striata vars. domestica) allows an exploration of the sensory limits of early development and the effects of species-specific acoustic cues upon song discrimination in adulthood. to quantify the s ... | 2009 | 19130101 |
| collapsin response mediator protein-4 (crmp-4) expression in posthaching development of song control nuclei in bengalese finches. | crmp-4 is regarded to play a role in neuronal differentiation, neurite growth and synapse formation. it has been shown to express in brain areas undergoing plastic changes or neuronal generation. bird song is a learned, complex behavior. during song learning, some neural changes occur dramatically within song nuclei in neuron number, neuronal morphology, and synaptic formation or rearrangements. in order to get insights into the potential functions of crmp-4 in the posthatching development of so ... | 2008 | 18598844 |
| song motor control organizes acoustic patterns on two levels in bengalese finches (lonchura striata var. domestica). | based on statistical analyses of song sequences, bengalese finch (lonchura striata var. domestica) songs do not show unvarying motif repetition as has been found in zebra finches (taeniopygia guttata). instead, there are variations of partially stereotyped sequences of song syllables. although these stereotyped sequences consist of multiple syllables, in most cases these syllables occur together. to examine whether such structures really exist as a vocal production unit, we subjected singing bir ... | 2008 | 18386017 |
| a neural network model for generating complex birdsong syntax. | the singing behavior of songbirds has been investigated as a model of sequence learning and production. the song of the bengalese finch, lonchura striata var. domestica, is well described by a finite state automaton including a stochastic transition of the note sequence, which can be regarded as a higher-order markov process. focusing on the neural structure of songbirds, we propose a neural network model that generates higher-order markov processes. the neurons in the robust nucleus of the arch ... | 2007 | 17965875 |
| evolution of birdsong syntax by interjection communication. | animals use diverse forms of communication, from sound signals to body postures. recent ethological studies have reported a unique syntactic communication of a songbird, the bengalese finch (lonchura striata var. domestica). male bengalese finches sing complex courtship songs, which can be reconstructed by finite automata, and female bengalese finches prefer complex songs, as opposed to monotonous or random ones. these facts suggest that the song syntaxes of male birds may have evolved as a resu ... | 2007 | 17567245 |
| the bengalese finch: a window on the behavioral neurobiology of birdsong syntax. | the bengalese finch lonchura striata var. domestica is a domesticated strain of a wild species, the white-rumped munia lonchura striata of southeast asia. bengalese finches have been domesticated in japan for 240 years. comparing their song syntax with that of their wild ancestors, we found that the domesticated strain has highly complex, conspicuous songs with finite-state syntax, while the wild ancestor sang very stereotyped linear songs. to examine the functional utility of the song complexit ... | 2004 | 15313802 |
| left-side dominance for song discrimination in bengalese finches (lonchura striata var. domestica). | male bengalese finches are left-side dominant for the motor control of song in the sensorimotor nucleus (the high vocal center, or hvc) of the telencephalon. we examined whether perceptual discrimination of songs might also be lateralized in this species. twelve male bengalese finches were trained by operant conditioning to discriminate between a bengalese finch song and a zebra finch song. before training, the left hvc was lesioned in four birds and the right hvc was lesioned in four other bird ... | 2001 | 24777514 |
| auditory scene analysis in estrildid finches (taeniopygia guttata and lonchura striata domestica): a species advantage for detection of conspecific song. | operant-conditioning techniques were used to investigate the ability of zebra finches (taeniopygia guttata) and bengalese finches (lonchura striata domestica) to detect a zebra finch or a bengalese finch target song intermixed with other birdsongs. sixteen birds were trained to respond to the presence of a particular target song, either of their own species (n = 8) or of another species (n = 8). the birds were able to learn a discrimination between song mixtures that contained a target song and ... | 2000 | 10890589 |
| adult bengalese finches (lonchura striata var. domestica) require real-time auditory feedback to produce normal song syntax. | songbirds develop their songs by imitating songs of adults. for song learning to proceed normally, the bird's hearing must remain intact throughout the song development process. in many species, song learning takes place during one period early in life, and no more new song elements are learned thereafter. in these so-called close-ended learners, it has long been assumed that once song development is complete, audition is no longer necessary to maintain the motor patterns of full song. however, ... | 1997 | 9322153 |
| bengalese finches lonchura striata domestica depend upon auditory feedback for the maintenance of adult song. | male birds of age-limited song-learning species develop their full song repertoires in the first year of life. for this type of song learner, once song is stabilized in adulthood, it is highly stereotyped and stable over time. traditionally, it has been believed that age-limited song learners do not depend on auditory feedback for the maintenance of adult song. a recent report, however, showed that adult song in zebra finches, age-limited learners, does change after long-term deafness. we report ... | 1997 | 9236246 |
| molecular cloning of major histocompatibility complex class ii b gene cdna from the bengalese finch lonchura striata. | the only avian major histocompatibility complex (mhc) genes thus far identified are from species of the relatively small order of galliformes, while by far the largest order of passeriformes (songbirds), containing some 60% of extant bird species, has not been studied at all in this regard. the galliformes emerged more than 55 million years (my) ago, the passeriformes some 25 my ago. because of the potential for the use of mhc genes as markers in the study of songbird populations, an attempt was ... | 1995 | 7672820 |
| prolactin and gonadal steroids during the reproductive cycle of the bengalese finch (lonchura striata var. domestica, estrildidae), a nonseasonal breeder with biparental care. | plasma levels of prolactin (prl), testosterone (t), and progesterone were determined throughout the breeding cycle in pairwise caged bengalese finches (lonchura striata var. domestica, estrildidae), a monogamous altricial passerine with nonseasonal breeding, in which parental behavior including incubation is equally shared between males and females. in both sexes, prl titers increased 4- to 10-fold during incubation period compared to values during nestbuilding. likewise, prl levels after fledgi ... | 1992 | 1426966 |
| timing during transitions in bengalese finch song: implications for motor sequencing. | to investigate mechanisms of action sequencing, we examined the relationship between timing and sequencing of syllables in bengalese finch song. an individual's song comprises acoustically distinct syllables organized into probabilistic sequences: a given syllable potentially can transition to several different syllables (divergence points), and several different syllables can transition to a given syllable (convergence points). in agreement with previous studies, we found that more probable tra ... | 2017 | 28637816 |
| temperature manipulation in songbird brain implicates the premotor nucleus hvc in birdsong syntax. | variable motor sequences of animals are often structured and can be described by probabilistic transition rules between action elements. examples include the songs of many songbird species such as the bengalese finch, which consist of stereotypical syllables sequenced according to probabilistic rules (song syntax). the neural mechanisms behind such rules are poorly understood. here, we investigate where the song syntax is encoded in the brain of the bengalese finch by rapidly and reversibly mani ... | 2017 | 28159910 |
| the effects of pitch shifts on delay-induced changes in vocal sequencing in a songbird. | like human speech, vocal behavior in songbirds depends critically on auditory feedback. in both humans and songbirds, vocal skills are acquired by a process of imitation whereby current vocal production is compared to an acoustic target. similarly, performance in adulthood relies strongly on auditory feedback, and online manipulations of auditory signals can dramatically alter acoustic production even after vocalizations have been well learned. artificially delaying auditory feedback can disrupt ... | 2017 | 28144622 |
| motor control by precisely timed spike patterns. | a fundamental problem in neuroscience is understanding how sequences of action potentials ("spikes") encode information about sensory signals and motor outputs. although traditional theories assume that this information is conveyed by the total number of spikes fired within a specified time interval (spike rate), recent studies have shown that additional information is carried by the millisecond-scale timing patterns of action potentials (spike timing). however, it is unknown whether or how subt ... | 2017 | 28100491 |
| mind the gap: neural coding of species identity in birdsong prosody. | juvenile songbirds learn vocal communication from adult tutors of the same species but not from adults of other species. how species-specific learning emerges from the basic features of song prosody remains unknown. in the zebra finch auditory cortex, we discovered a class of neurons that register the silent temporal gaps between song syllables and are distinct from neurons encoding syllable morphology. behavioral learning and neuronal coding of temporal gap structure resisted song tutoring from ... | 2016 | 27940872 |
| auditory-induced neural dynamics in sensory-motor circuitry predict learned temporal and sequential statistics of birdsong. | predicting future events is a critical computation for both perception and behavior. despite the essential nature of this computation, there are few studies demonstrating neural activity that predicts specific events in learned, probabilistic sequences. here, we test the hypotheses that the dynamics of internally generated neural activity are predictive of future events and are structured by the learned temporal-sequential statistics of those events. we recorded neural activity in bengalese finc ... | 2016 | 27506786 |
| parental influence on begging call structure in zebra finches (taeniopygia guttata): evidence of early vocal plasticity. | begging calls are signals of need used by young birds to elicit care from adults. different theoretical frameworks have been proposed to understand this parent-offspring communication. but relationships between parental response and begging intensity, or between begging characteristics and proxies of a young's need remain puzzling. few studies have considered the adjustment of nestling begging features to previous experience as a possible explanation of these discrepancies. in this study, we tes ... | 2015 | 26716009 |
| relationship between the sequencing and timing of vocal motor elements in birdsong. | accurate coordination of the sequencing and timing of motor gestures is important for the performance of complex and evolutionarily relevant behaviors. however, the degree to which motor sequencing and timing are related remains largely unknown. birdsong is a communicative behavior that consists of discrete vocal motor elements ('syllables') that are sequenced and timed in a precise manner. to reveal the relationship between syllable sequencing and timing, we analyzed how variation in the probab ... | 2015 | 26650933 |
| a rhythm landscape approach to the developmental dynamics of birdsong. | unlike simple biological rhythms, the rhythm of the oscine bird song is a learned time series of diverse sounds that change dynamically during vocal ontogeny. how to quantify rhythm development is one of the most important challenges in behavioural biology. here, we propose a simple method, called 'rhythm landscape', to visualize and quantify how rhythm structure, which is measured as durational patterns of sounds and silences, emerges and changes over development. applying this method to the de ... | 2015 | 26538559 |
| multifunctional and context-dependent control of vocal acoustics by individual muscles. | the relationship between muscle activity and behavioral output determines how the brain controls and modifies complex skills. in vocal control, ensembles of muscles are used to precisely tune single acoustic parameters such as fundamental frequency and sound amplitude. if individual vocal muscles were dedicated to the control of single parameters, then the brain could control each parameter independently by modulating the appropriate muscle or muscles. alternatively, if each muscle influenced mu ... | 2015 | 26490859 |
| an adapting auditory-motor feedback loop can contribute to generating vocal repetition. | consecutive repetition of actions is common in behavioral sequences. although integration of sensory feedback with internal motor programs is important for sequence generation, if and how feedback contributes to repetitive actions is poorly understood. here we study how auditory feedback contributes to generating repetitive syllable sequences in songbirds. we propose that auditory signals provide positive feedback to ongoing motor commands, but this influence decays as feedback weakens from resp ... | 2015 | 26448054 |
| predicting plasticity: acute context-dependent changes to vocal performance predict long-term age-dependent changes. | understanding the factors that predict and guide variation in behavioral change can lend insight into mechanisms of motor plasticity and individual differences in behavior. the performance of adult birdsong changes with age in a manner that is similar to rapid context-dependent changes to song. to reveal mechanisms of vocal plasticity, we analyzed the degree to which variation in the direction and magnitude of age-dependent changes to bengalese finch song could be predicted by variation in conte ... | 2015 | 26311186 |
| forebrain circuits underlying the social modulation of vocal communication signals. | across vertebrate species, signalers alter the structure of their communication signals based on the social context. for example, male bengalese finches produce faster and more stereotyped songs when directing song to females (female-directed [fd] song) than when singing in isolation (undirected [ud] song), and such changes have been found to increase the attractiveness of a male's song. despite the importance of such social influences, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the social ... | 2016 | 25959605 |
| sexual differences in cell loss during the post-hatch development of song control nuclei in the bengalese finch. | birdsongs and the regions of their brain that control song exhibit obvious sexual differences. however, the mechanisms underlying these sexual dimorphisms remain unknown. to address this issue, we first examined apoptotic cells labeled with caspase-3 or tunel in bengalese finch song control nuclei - the robust nucleus of the archopallium (ra), the lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium (lman), the high vocal center (hvc) and area x from post-hatch day (p) 15 to 120. next, we i ... | 2015 | 25938674 |
| catecholaminergic contributions to vocal communication signals. | social context affects behavioral displays across a variety of species. for example, social context acutely influences the acoustic and temporal structure of vocal communication signals such as speech and birdsong. despite the prevalence and importance of such social influences, little is known about the neural mechanisms underlying the social modulation of communication. catecholamines are implicated in the regulation of social behavior and motor control, but the degree to which catecholamines ... | 2015 | 25847067 |
| limitations of a habituation task to demonstrate discrimination of natural signals in songbirds. | the habituation-dishabituation (hdh) paradigm is a common method used to examine animal cognition. recent studies reported that spontaneous vocalizations could be used as an index of song familiarity and novelty in songbirds. however, these studies assigned only a few stimulus sets for all subjects, which might cause pseudoreplication. therefore, we examined universality and general applicability of this method in bengalese finches using a variety of stimulus sets. seven unfamiliar conspecific s ... | 2015 | 25795097 |
| vocal motor changes beyond the sensitive period for song plasticity. | behavior is critically shaped during sensitive periods in development. birdsong is a learned vocal behavior that undergoes dramatic plasticity during a sensitive period of sensorimotor learning. during this period, juvenile songbirds engage in vocal practice to shape their vocalizations into relatively stereotyped songs. by the time songbirds reach adulthood, their songs are relatively stable and thought to be "crystallized." recent studies, however, highlight the potential for adult song plasti ... | 2014 | 25057147 |
| sexual differences in cell proliferation in the ventricular zone, cell migration and differentiation in the hvc of juvenile bengalese finch. | song control nuclei have distinct sexual differences and thus are an ideal model to address how brain areas are sexually differentiated. through a combination of histological analysis and electrical lesions, we first identified the ventricle site for hvc progenitor cells. we then found that there were significant sex differences in the cellular proliferation activity in the ventricular zone of the hvc, the number of migrating cells along the radial cells (positive immunoreactions to vimentin) an ... | 2014 | 24841082 |
| histone modifications related to chromosome silencing and elimination during male meiosis in bengalese finch. | we report here that a germline-restricted chromosome (grc) is regularly present in males and females of the bengalese finch (lonchura domestica). while the grc is euchromatic in oocytes, in spermatocytes this chromosome is cytologically seen as entirely heterochromatic and presumably inactive. the grc is observed in the cytoplasm of secondary spermatocytes, indicating that its elimination from the nucleus occurs during the first meiotic division. by immunofluorescence on microspreads, we investi ... | 2014 | 24493641 |
| expression analysis of the speech-related genes foxp1 and foxp2 and their relation to singing behavior in two songbird species. | humans and songbirds are among the rare animal groups that exhibit socially learned vocalizations: speech and song, respectively. these vocal-learning capacities share a reliance on audition and cortico-basal ganglia circuitry, as well as neurogenetic mechanisms. notably, the transcription factors forkhead box proteins 1 and 2 (foxp1, foxp2) exhibit similar expression patterns in the cortex and basal ganglia of humans and the zebra finch species of songbird, among other brain regions. mutations ... | 2013 | 24006346 |
| ultrastructural and electrophysiological analysis of area x in the untutored and deafened bengalese finch in relation to normally reared birds. | birdsong learning bears many similarities to human speech acquisition. although the anterior forebrain pathway (afp) is believed to be involved in birdsong learning, the underlying neural mechanisms are unclear. we produced two types of abnormal song learning: young birds untutored from adult "song tutors", or birds deafened by bilateral cochlear removal before the onset of sensory learning. we then studied how ultrastructure and electrophysiological activity changed in an afp nucleus, area x, a ... | 2013 | 23820426 |
| an invisible sign stimulus: completion of occluded visual images in the bengalese finch in an ecological context. | an object that includes occluded parts is sometimes perceived as a complete image and this phenomenon is known as amodal or visual completion. a sign stimulus is a minimum set of information that elicits a behavior, but this notion raises questions about whether animals ever engage in the behavior when they cannot see the occluded sign stimulus, but they can visually complete it. male bengalese finches engage in courtship behavior toward video images of female finches. we conducted three experim ... | 2013 | 23546383 |
| defects in ultrasonic vocalization of cadherin-6 knockout mice. | although some molecules have been identified as responsible for human language disorders, there is still little information about what molecular mechanisms establish the faculty of human language. since mice, like songbirds, produce complex ultrasonic vocalizations for intraspecific communication in several social contexts, they can be good mammalian models for studying the molecular basis of human language. having found that cadherins are involved in the vocal development of the bengalese finch ... | 2012 | 23173049 |
| variable sequencing is actively maintained in a well learned motor skill. | variation in sequencing of actions occurs in many natural behaviors, yet how such variation is maintained is poorly understood. we investigated maintenance of sequence variation in adult bengalese finch song, a learned skill with rendition-to-rendition variation in the sequencing of discrete syllables (i.e., syllable "b" might transition to "c" with 70% probability and to "d" with 30% probability). we found that probabilities of transitions ordinarily remain stable but could be modified by deliv ... | 2012 | 23115179 |
| comparative study on song behavior, and ultra-structural, electrophysiological and immunoreactive properties in ra among deafened, untutored and normal-hearing bengalese finches. | to gain additional insight into how a birdsong is learned, we compared the songs of bengalese finch males that were deafened early in development or raised without tutors to control finches that learned songs from adult models. fewer note types and a more variable number of notes per bout were observed in untutored male songs, and no audible songs were detected in deafened males. we then investigated the ultrastructural, immunohistological, and electrophysiological correlates of the outcomes of ... | 2012 | 22552113 |
| cooperation of deterministic dynamics and random noise in production of complex syntactical avian song sequences: a neural network model. | how the brain learns and generates temporal sequences is a fundamental issue in neuroscience. the production of birdsongs, a process which involves complex learned sequences, provides researchers with an excellent biological model for this topic. the bengalese finch in particular learns a highly complex song with syntactical structure. the nucleus hvc (hvc), a premotor nucleus within the avian song system, plays a key role in generating the temporal structures of their songs. from lesion studies ... | 2011 | 21559065 |
| a compact statistical model of the song syntax in bengalese finch. | songs of many songbird species consist of variable sequences of a finite number of syllables. a common approach for characterizing the syntax of these complex syllable sequences is to use transition probabilities between the syllables. this is equivalent to the markov model, in which each syllable is associated with one state, and the transition probabilities between the states do not depend on the state transition history. here we analyze the song syntax in bengalese finch. we show that the mar ... | 2011 | 21445230 |
| a reafferent and feed-forward model of song syntax generation in the bengalese finch. | adult bengalese finches generate a variable song that obeys a distinct and individual syntax. the syntax is gradually lost over a period of days after deafening and is recovered when hearing is restored. we present a spiking neuronal network model of the song syntax generation and its loss, based on the assumption that the syntax is stored in reafferent connections from the auditory to the motor control area. propagating synfire activity in the hvc codes for individual syllables of the song and ... | 2011 | 21404048 |
| learning the microstructure of successful behavior. | reinforcement signals indicating success or failure are known to alter the probability of selecting between distinct actions. however, successful performance of many motor skills, such as speech articulation, also requires learning behavioral trajectories that vary continuously over time. here, we investigated how temporally discrete reinforcement signals shape a continuous behavioral trajectory, the fundamental frequency of adult bengalese finch song. we provided reinforcement contingent on fun ... | 2011 | 21278732 |
| generating variable birdsong syllable sequences with branching chain networks in avian premotor nucleus hvc. | songs of songbird species such as bengalese finch consist of sequences of syllables. while syllables are temporally stereotypical, syllable sequences can vary and follow complex, probabilistic transition rules. recent experiments and computational models suggest that a syllable is encoded in a chain network of projection neurons in premotor nucleus hvc (proper name). precisely timed spikes propagate along the chain, driving vocalization of the syllable through downstream nuclei. however, the neu ... | 2009 | 20365001 |
| developmental experience alters information coding in auditory midbrain and forebrain neurons. | in songbirds, species identity and developmental experience shape vocal behavior and behavioral responses to vocalizations. the interaction of species identity and developmental experience may also shape the coding properties of sensory neurons. we tested whether responses of auditory midbrain and forebrain neurons to songs differed between species and between groups of conspecific birds with different developmental exposure to song. we also compared responses of individual neurons to conspecifi ... | 2010 | 20039264 |
| an avian basal ganglia-forebrain circuit contributes differentially to syllable versus sequence variability of adult bengalese finch song. | behavioral variability is important for motor skill learning but continues to be present and actively regulated even in well-learned behaviors. in adult songbirds, two types of song variability can persist and are modulated by social context: variability in syllable structure and variability in syllable sequencing. the degree to which the control of both types of adult variability is shared or distinct remains unknown. the output of a basal ganglia-forebrain circuit, lman (the lateral magnocellu ... | 2009 | 19357331 |
| spatial and behavioural measures of social discrimination by captive male zebra finches: implications of sexual and species differences for recognition research. | all bird species reproduce sexually and individuals need to correctly identify conspecifics for successful breeding. captive zebra finches are a model system for studying the factors involved in species recognition and mate choice. however, male zebra finches' behavioural responses in a spatial preference paradigm to a range of estrildid finch species, other than domesticated bengalese finches, remain unknown. we investigated spatial and display responses of male zebra finch subjects to stimulus ... | 2009 | 19010401 |
| population coding of song element sequence in the bengalese finch hvc. | birdsong is a complex vocalization composed of various song elements organized according to sequential rules. two alternative views exist that explain the neural representation of song element sequences in the songbird brain. the finding of sequential selective neurons supports the idea that the song element sequence is encoded in a chain of rigid selective neurons. alternatively, song structure could be encoded in an ensemble of relatively broad selective neurons arranged in a distributed manne ... | 2008 | 18598266 |
| developmental learning of complex syntactical song in the bengalese finch: a neural network model. | we developed a neural network model for studying neural mechanisms underlying complex syntactical songs of the bengalese finch, which result from interactions between sensori-motor nuclei, the nucleus hvc (hvc) and the nucleus interfacialis (nif). results of simulations are tested by comparison with the song development of real young birds learning the same songs from their fathers. the model shows that complex syntactical songs can be reproduced from the simple interaction between the determini ... | 2008 | 18460417 |
| performance variability enables adaptive plasticity of 'crystallized' adult birdsong. | significant trial-by-trial variation persists even in the most practiced skills. one prevalent view is that such variation is simply 'noise' that the nervous system is unable to control or that remains below threshold for behavioural relevance. an alternative hypothesis is that such variation enables trial-and-error learning, in which the motor system generates variation and differentially retains behaviours that give rise to better outcomes. here we test the latter possibility for adult bengale ... | 2007 | 18097411 |
| sex difference in cellular proliferation within the telencephalic ventricle zone of bengalese finch. | cellular proliferation within the ventricular zone (vz) may contribute to sex differences through the net addition of neurons in song control nuclei. to address this issue, we administered [(3)h]thymidine to bengalese finches of both sexes, and estradiol benzoate (eb) to females 15 days post hatching. the birds were killed 2h later to examine thymidine labeled cells within the vz at three brain levels, hvc, anterior commissure and area x. our results indicated that: (1) cell proliferation in the ... | 2007 | 17493701 |
| zenk expression in a restricted forebrain area correlates negatively with preference for an imprinted stimulus. | sexual imprinting is an early learning process by which young birds acquire the characteristics of a potential sexual partner. the physiological basis of this learning process is an irreversible reduction of dendritic spines in two forebrain areas, the lnm (lateral nido-mesopallium) and the mnm (medial nido-mesopallium). the aim of the present study was to investigate whether these two brain areas are activated if the imprinted stimulus is presented to the adult bird after the end of the sensiti ... | 2006 | 16678280 |
| neural correlates of song complexity in bengalese finch high vocal center. | auditory neurons in the songbird forebrain nucleus high vocal center hvc) show high selectivity to the temporal structure of bird's own song but the relationship between the degree of song complexity and neural selectivity is not known. we investigated the song temporal selectivity of hvc neurons by multi-unit recordings in seven male bengalese finches with different song complexity. results showed that hvc multi-units of the individuals with more complex songs responded strongly to each of the ... | 2004 | 15167566 |
| immunohistochemistry and neural connectivity of the ov shell in the songbird and their evolutionary implications. | the neuropeptide immunohistochemistry and neural connectivity of areas surrounding the thalamic auditory nucleus (the nucleus ovoidalis [ov]), as well as the areas to which it is connected, were investigated in a songbird, the bengalese finch. the results showed that met-enkephalin was present in the ov shell and most of the areas connected to it, but not in the ov core. anterograde and retrograde tracing studies showed that the ov shell was more widely connected than the ov core. the ov shell w ... | 2004 | 14750161 |
| intrinsic and synaptic properties of the dorsomedial nucleus of the intercollicular complex, an area known to be involved in distance call production in bengalese finches. | the dorsomedial nucleus of the intercollicular complex (dm) of the midbrain in the bengalese finch is essential for the vocal production of distance calls that have sexually-dimorphic acoustic structures in the adult. anatomical tracing of the vocal control system shows that dm neurons of adult males receive axonal inputs from the robust nucleus of the archistriatum (ra), and the inputs are considered to be crucial for the male-typical features of distance calls. in order to investigate the neur ... | 2003 | 12646311 |
| expression of protein kinase c in song control nuclei of deafened adult male bengalese finches. | auditory feedback is necessary to maintain singing in the adult male bengalese finch (songbirds/oscines). their song patterns are altered within a month following cochlear removal-induced deafness. stabilization of song patterns occurs thereafter. to clarify what kind of changes appear in the brain of deafened birds, we examined immunohistochemically the expression of protein kinase c (pkc), considered a molecular marker for synaptic plasticity, in the robust nucleus of the archistriatum (ra), o ... | 2002 | 11924874 |
| hair cell regeneration and recovery of auditory thresholds following aminoglycoside ototoxicity in bengalese finches. | birds regenerate auditory hair cells when original hair cells are lost. regenerated hair cells become innervated and restore hearing function. functional recovery during hair cell regeneration is particularly interesting in animals that depend on hearing for vocal communication. bengalese finches are songbirds that depend on auditory feedback for normal song learning and maintenance. we examined the structural and functional recovery of the bengalese finch basilar papilla after aminoglycoside ot ... | 2001 | 11223308 |
| partial lesions in the anterior forebrain pathway affect song production in adult bengalese finches. | the avian song system consists of two main parts: the descending motor pathway and the anterior forebrain (af) pathway. the former directly controls the motor act of singing, but the role of the af pathway in real-time song production is not understood; lesioning a nucleus in the af pathway in adult zebra finches did not cause any notable effects. here we show that in a related species of songbirds, the bengalese finch, a partial lesion located in area x, a nucleus of the avian basal ganglia tha ... | 2001 | 11209949 |
| lesion of a higher-order song nucleus disrupts phrase level complexity in bengalese finches. | studies in zebra finches failed to demonstrate the involvement of the nif, a higher-order song nucleus afferent to the hvc, in the production of learned song. the song of the bengalese finch, a related species, has a higher level of temporal organization; multiple song phrases are organized into a song. we hypothesized that the nif might control this complexity. to test this, we bilaterally lesioned the nif in adult male bengalese finches. the songs of birds with multi-phrase organization change ... | 2000 | 10923650 |