Song learning in female-raised zebra finches: another look at the sensitive phase

Eales, Lucy A.

doi:10.1016/s0003-3472(87)80008-8

Cited by 125 publications

(88 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Maybe the net gain was transient, to be eliminated by eventual reduction, or more neurons may be required to maintain a late acquired skill. Song learning in 180-d-old isolates has not been studied, but it has been noted that delayed song learning in isolates is not as accomplished as in juveniles (Eales 1987;Morrison and Nottebohm, 1993).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Zebra finches reared with adult males learn to imitate their song between days 30 and 65 (Immelmann, 1969;Eales, 1987;Boehner, 1990;Williams, 1990). This imitation is perfected and becomes more stereotyped during days 65-90.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This imitation is perfected and becomes more stereotyped during days 65-90. In contrast, juvenile male zebra finches reared in visual or auditory isolation from adult males improvise a song that they can still alter as young adults, after day 80, to match that of a live tutor (Eales 1985(Eales , 1987Morrison and Nottebohm, 1993;Heinrich et al, 2003;Livingston et al, 2000); their sensitive period for song learning is said to remain open beyond the normal limit. Although this late imitation of a tutor's song is not as extensive as in younger birds (Morrison and Nottebohm, 1993), it may provide clues to the relationship between new neurons and song learning.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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High Levels of New Neuron Addition Persist When the Sensitive Period for Song Learning Is Experimentally Prolonged

Wilbrecht

Williams²,

Gangadhar³

et al. 2006

J. Neurosci.

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Socially reared zebra finch males imitate a song they hear during posthatching days 30 -65; during this time, many new neurons are added to the high vocal center (HVC), a forebrain nucleus necessary for the production of learned song. New neuron addition drops sharply after day 65, and no new songs are imitated. In contrast, male zebra finches reared in isolation from other males have more variable songs at day 65 and thereafter can still imitate new sounds (Eales, 1985). We show that, in isolate birds, a greater number of new neurons continues to be added to HVC during the next 85 d, and this number correlates with syllable variability. We suggest that new neuron addition and turnover facilitate song change and that this effect lingers when an expected learning event is delayed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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High Levels of New Neuron Addition Persist When the Sensitive Period for Song Learning Is Experimentally Prolonged

Wilbrecht

Williams²,

Gangadhar³

et al. 2006

J. Neurosci.

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“…This conversion of an auditory model into a motor replica occurs only once, during the so-called "sensitive period" for song learning (but see Eales, 1985Eales, , 1987Morrison and Nottebohm, 1993). Thereafter, song changes very little.…”

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confidence: 99%

Age at Deafening Affects the Stability of Learned Song in Adult Male Zebra Finches

2000

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Male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) master the imitation of a song model 80-90 d after hatching and retain it with little change for the rest of their lives. Acquisition and maintenance of this imitation require intact hearing. A previous report showed that male zebra finches deafened as adults start to lose some of the acoustic and temporal features of their song a few weeks after deafening and that by 16 weeks the learned song is severely degraded (Nordeen and Nordeen, 1992). However, this previous study noted no correlation between the age at deafening and the subsequent timing and extent of song loss. We deafened adult male zebra finches ranging in age from 81 d to 6 years. The song of birds deafened at the younger ages (81-175 d) deteriorated severely after a few weeks, and within that age bracket, the older the bird was at deafening, the longer it took for this degradation to occur and the slower the subsequent process of song deterioration. The song of birds deafened at 2 years and older showed little change during the first 51 weeks after deafening but was grossly altered by 100 weeks. We suggest (1) that this age effect could be independent of experience or (2) that each time a bird sings, a little bit of learning-motor engrainment-occurs, adding to memory duration in a cumulative manner.

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“…While much of the selection on zebra finches in captivity has been for increased productivity, this could have had related or incidental effects on song. A reduction in distance call use would not be likely to stem from an impoverished auditory environment, as Eales (1987) has found that young birds reared by females alone produce songs consisting only of call notes. On the other hand, our laboratory situation and that of many aviculturalists, with many pairs of birds in the same room and young birds continuously exposed to singing adults, may be just the situation where distance calls are least likely to be used as song elements.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Domestication and Song Learning in Zebra Finches Taeniopygia guttata

Slater

Clayton

1991

Emu - Austral Ornithology

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Song learning in female-raised zebra finches: another look at the sensitive phase

Cited by 125 publications

References 12 publications

High Levels of New Neuron Addition Persist When the Sensitive Period for Song Learning Is Experimentally Prolonged

High Levels of New Neuron Addition Persist When the Sensitive Period for Song Learning Is Experimentally Prolonged

Age at Deafening Affects the Stability of Learned Song in Adult Male Zebra Finches

Domestication and Song Learning in Zebra Finches Taeniopygia guttata

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