Variability in ambient temperature promotes juvenile participation and shorter latency in a learning test in zebra finches

Lu, ChuChu; Lefeuvre, Maëlle; Rutkowska, Joanna

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.01.010

Cited by 4 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…However, singing latency reveals more the motivation of an individual, than its actual participation, which is a binary variable (i.e., did or did not participate). Participation using the latter definition has been accounted for in an associative learning test ( Lu et al 2022 ). Using the same study design and the same birds as presented here, Lu et al (2022) found a higher participation rate in birds reared in variable conditions compared with the other groups.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Participation using the latter definition has been accounted for in an associative learning test ( Lu et al 2022 ). Using the same study design and the same birds as presented here, Lu et al (2022) found a higher participation rate in birds reared in variable conditions compared with the other groups. Variable conditions made the birds more active in foraging tasks, and seems, to a lower extent, to make the males more active in courtship.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In zebra finches, social interactions are necessary for an efficient song learning ( Carouso-Peck et al 2020 ), and juveniles from variable prehatching condition in our study may have relied more on these interactions than those from stable prehatching condition, although this hypothesis would need further investigation. Another explanation could lay in the fact that variable temperature may not be perceived as a stressor, but on the contrary could be an enrichment, as suggested by Lu et al (2022) . Indeed, the variable condition resembles more the natural habitat of zebra finches than the stable condition ( Zann 1996 ; Mariette and Buchanan 2016 ) and could explain the higher learning performance we found in our study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Dynamics of changes in the ambient temperature were similar to those encountered by zebra finches breeding in the wild, where the maximum daily temperature from day to day might differ by over 20 °C (e.g., Mariette and Buchanan 2016 ). This experimental setup is the same as in Lu et al (2022) .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the time of cross-fostering the chicks were on average 2.09 ± SD 1.27 days old. For more details on the cross-fostering see Lu et al (2022) .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Variable ambient temperature promotes song learning and production in zebra finches

Lefeuvre

Botero

et al. 2023

Behavioral Ecology

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Current climate change is leading to increasingly unpredictable environmental conditions and is imposing new challenges to wildlife. For example, ambient conditions fluctuating during critical developmental periods could potentially impair the development of cognitive systems and may therefore have a long-term influence on an individual’s life. We studied the impact of temperature variability on zebra finch cognition, focusing on song learning and song quality (N = 76 males). We used a 2 × 2 factorial experiment with two temperature conditions (stable and variable). Half of the juveniles were cross-fostered at hatching to create a mismatch between pre- and posthatching conditions, the latter matching this species’ critical period for song learning. We found that temperature variability did not affect repertoire size, syllable consistency, or the proportion of syllables copied from a tutor. However, birds that experienced variable temperatures in their posthatching environment were more likely to sing during recordings. In addition, birds that experienced variable prenatal conditions had higher learning accuracy than birds in stable prenatal environments. These findings are the first documented evidence that variable ambient temperatures can influence song learning in zebra finches. Moreover, they indicate that temperature variability can act as a form of environmental enrichment with net positive effects on cognition.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the time of cross-fostering the chicks were on average 2.09 ± SD 1.27 days old. For more details on the cross-fostering see Lu et al (2022) .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Variable ambient temperature promotes song learning and production in zebra finches

Lefeuvre

Botero

et al. 2023

Behavioral Ecology

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What do zebra finches learn besides singing? Systematic mapping of the literature and presentation of an efficient associative learning test

Gudowska

Rutkowska

2023

Anim Cogn

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The process of learning in birds has been extensively studied, with a focus on species such as pigeons, parrots, chickens, and crows. In recent years, the zebra finch has emerged as a model species in avian cognition, particularly in song learning. However, other cognitive domains such as spatial memory and associative learning could also be critical to fitness and survival, particularly during the intensive juvenile period. In this systematic review, we provide an overview of cognitive studies on zebra finches, with a focus on domains other than song learning. Our findings indicate that spatial, associative, and social learning are the most frequently studied domains, while motoric learning and inhibitory control have been examined less frequently over 30 years of research. All of the 60 studies included in this review were conducted on captive birds, limiting the generalizability of the findings to wild populations. Moreover, only two of the studies were conducted on juveniles, highlighting the need for more research on this critical period of learning. To address this research gap, we propose a high-throughput method for testing associative learning performance in a large number of both juvenile and adult zebra finches. Our results demonstrate that learning can occur in both age groups, thus encouraging researchers to also perform cognitive tests on juveniles. We also note the heterogeneity of methodologies, protocols, and subject exclusion criteria applied by different researchers, which makes it difficult to compare results across studies. Therefore, we call for better communication among researchers to develop standardised methodologies for studying each cognitive domain at different life stages and also in their natural conditions.

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Zebra finch song parameters are affected by the breeding status of the male, but not temperature variability

Lefeuvre,

Rutkowska

2024

Physiology & Behavior

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Variability in ambient temperature promotes juvenile participation and shorter latency in a learning test in zebra finches

Cited by 4 publications

References 54 publications

Variable ambient temperature promotes song learning and production in zebra finches

Variable ambient temperature promotes song learning and production in zebra finches

What do zebra finches learn besides singing? Systematic mapping of the literature and presentation of an efficient associative learning test

Zebra finch song parameters are affected by the breeding status of the male, but not temperature variability

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