Songs to syntax: the linguistics of birdsong

Berwick, Robert C.; Okanoya, Kazuo; Beckers, Gabriël J. L.; Bolhuis, Johan J.

doi:10.1016/j.tics.2011.01.002

Cited by 343 publications

(332 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Thus, vocal learning appears to have evolved independently in groups of birds and mammals [55]. The members of the mentioned avian taxa are known to naturally produce sequences of sounds with signs of 'phonological syntax', while it is a matter of debate to which degree nonhuman vocal learners exhibit signs of 'semantical syntax' [56]. It is also debated to what degree non-human primates (e.g.…”

Section: Bird Brainsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neuronal factors determining high intelligence

Dicke¹,

Roth²

2016

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

145

107

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One contribution of 16 to a discussion meeting issue 'Homology and convergence in nervous system evolution'. Many attempts have been made to correlate degrees of both animal and human intelligence with brain properties. With respect to mammals, a much-discussed trait concerns absolute and relative brain size, either uncorrected or corrected for body size. However, the correlation of both with degrees of intelligence yields large inconsistencies, because although they are regarded as the most intelligent mammals, monkeys and apes, including humans, have neither the absolutely nor the relatively largest brains. The best fit between brain traits and degrees of intelligence among mammals is reached by a combination of the number of cortical neurons, neuron packing density, interneuronal distance and axonal conduction velocity-factors that determine general information processing capacity (IPC), as reflected by general intelligence. The highest IPC is found in humans, followed by the great apes, Old World and New World monkeys. The IPC of cetaceans and elephants is much lower because of a thin cortex, low neuron packing density and low axonal conduction velocity. By contrast, corvid and psittacid birds have very small and densely packed pallial neurons and relatively many neurons, which, despite very small brain volumes, might explain their high intelligence. The evolution of a syntactical and grammatical language in humans most probably has served as an additional intelligence amplifier, which may have happened in songbirds and psittacids in a convergent manner.

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Section: Bird Brainsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neuronal factors determining high intelligence

Dicke¹,

Roth²

2016

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

145

107

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show abstract

“…Doupe and Kuhl (1999) provide an overview of the evidence for vocal learning in a particular species, which involves the following properties: (i) initially immature vocalizations ("babbling") that eventually become adultlike; (ii) a relatively fixed individual-level repertoire that varies across individuals/groups; (iii) individual-level differences that depend on experience/exposure; and (iv) the necessity of auditory feedback to maintain normal vocalizations. The behavioral evidence for vocal learning in songbirds and parallels to human first language acquisition have been reviewed widely in the literature (see e.g., Doupe and Kuhl, 1999;Bolhuis et al, 2010;Berwick et al, 2011), and I will not recap those arguments here. Schachner et al (2009) discuss a relatively new line of research investigating the connection between vocal learning and spontaneous rhythmic motor entrainment, or the ability to align movement with auditory input (i.e., move to a beat or dance).…”

Section: Vocal Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A winter wren may know 5-10 distinct songs, each lasting 10 s, whereas each starling may know up to 100 motifs and combine some of them in a song bout that is 30 s to a minute long (Yip, 2006). Nightingales and mockingbirds may have larger repertoires of hundreds of songs (Marler, 2000;Berwick et al, 2011), organized into less than a dozen "packages" of bouts that are typically produced together (Todt and Hultsch, 1996). It is important to note that notes and syllables do not have any meaning.…”

Section: Hierarchical Structurementioning

confidence: 99%

Components of the Language-Ready Brain

Boeckx¹,

Benítez‐Burraco²

2016

Frontiers Research Topics

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“…Zebra finch vocalizations are made up of acoustic units known as 'syllables', which are arranged in different ways in a rulegoverned fashion, producing a wide variety of sequences. Birdsong thus shows similarities to human language that go beyond vocal learning (Berwick et al 2011). However, there is no evidence yet that songbirds attach meaning to syllables, or the way in which they are arranged, which limits the utility of birdsong as a model for human language.…”

Section: Insights From Animal Communicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insights into the Genetic Foundations of Human Communication

2015

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The human capacity to acquire sophisticated language is unmatched in the animal kingdom. Despite the discontinuity in communicative abilities between humans and other primates, language is built on ancient genetic foundations, which are being illuminated by comparative genomics. The genetic architecture of the language faculty is also being uncovered by research into neurodevelopmental disorders that disrupt the normally effortless process of language acquisition. In this article, we discuss the strategies that researchers are using to reveal genetic factors contributing to communicative abilities, and review progress in identifying the relevant genes and genetic variants. The first gene directly implicated in a speech and language disorder was FOXP2. Using this gene as a case study, we illustrate how evidence from genetics, molecular cell biology, animal models and human neuroimaging has converged to build a picture of the role of FOXP2 in neurodevelopment, providing a framework for future endeavors to bridge the gaps between genes, brains and behavior.

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Songs to syntax: the linguistics of birdsong

Cited by 343 publications

References 41 publications

Neuronal factors determining high intelligence

Neuronal factors determining high intelligence

Components of the Language-Ready Brain

Insights into the Genetic Foundations of Human Communication

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