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Behavioural neuro > Birdsong > Flashcards

Birdsong Flashcards

1
Q

What is birdsong? Uses

A

Vocalisation of more than one note for communication
Passerine are majority users
Used to find a mate and defend territory
Species-specific, repertoire variable

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2
Q

How was it researched?

A

Thorpe in 50s developed sonograph to record and ‘see’ it

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3
Q

Describe note, syllable and phrase

A

Note: individual sound
Syllable: unit of organization for a sequence of sounds
Phrase: group of syllables

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4
Q

Describe Thorpe’s experiment in ‘54

A

Isolated yound male chaffinches
Some played tape recordings of chaffinch song, others had none
Recorded vocals when adults

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5
Q

Results of Thorpe ‘54

A

Those raised with normal songs copy tutor well

Bird raised in acoustic isolation had simple song, suggesting there is an innate song which is modified by tutor

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6
Q

What happens when birds only exposed to tutor when mature?

A

Develop abnormal songs.

Meaning that there is a critical period for learning

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7
Q

What are the stages of song development?

A 
Sensory phase (listen to tutor)
Sensorimotor phase (subsong: soft, variable rambling syllables) and (plastic song: rehearsal, becomes like tutor song)
Crystallised: song has correct volume, duration and syllables etc. - no further change
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8
Q

Difference between white crowned sparrow and zebrafinch learning

A

Sparrow is a seasonal closed learner (breeding season in spring, sing during this, song crystallised by next spring)
Zebrafinch is age limited learner (breed all year, critical period from 0-60 days. Sensory and sensorimotor overlap)

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9
Q

Describe learning of the canary

A

Open ended learner

Breeds in spring, learns new song each year (new sensory period?)

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10
Q

How can sensory phase be extended?

A

Environment: longer breeding season on coast
Lack of tutor
Presence of live tutor

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11
Q

What did Marler and Peters ‘81 do?

A 
Analysed plastic phase syllables in sparrows
200 syllables total in plastic phase
32% copies of tutor
18% variations of tutor
50% invented
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12
Q

Result of swamp sparrow having 2 tutor songs

A

Combine them into novel song

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13
Q

Why are new songs only 32% imitation?

A

Overproduction of syllables in plastic phase leads to loss of them in crystallisation phase. Adult swamp sparrow song 45 syllables
Trying out different sounds?

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14
Q

What affects learning of tutor song?

A

Innate preference for own species (change in HR even in birds not previously exposed to song)
Preference for visible tutor (sparrow copies a finch in preference to tape of conspecific)

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15
Q

Describe Marler and Peters ‘77

A

Birds reared in isolation
Fledglinds 20-60 days) exposed to taped songs of both swamp and song sparrows
Swamp always preferred conspecifics
Song preferred foreign 20% of time

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16
Q

Results of Marler and Peters ‘77

A

Swamp sparrows recognised syllabled, not syntax
Song recognise syllables, syntax and tempo (would learn foreign syllables if in specific syntax and tempo) - has innate template

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17
Q

What does and isolate’s song retain?

A 
Duration
Tonality
Freq rance
Repertoire size
(innate template)
18
Q

Result of deafening bird

A

Can’t perform song
Auditory feedback required to match singing to template
Template part innate and learned

19
Q

How is sound produced in birdsong?

A

Air comes from air sacs, body wall muscle expels it
Air movement cause tympaniform membranes to vibrate.
Internal and external syringeal muscles alter tension of tympaniform membrane to change freq

20
Q

Evidence for lateralisation

A

Sectioning of left hypoglossal nerve causes song impairment.

Sectioning of right has little effect

21
Q

Differing lateral dominance between species

A

Left: Canary, Java Sparror
None: Swamp sparrow
Right: Zebrafinch
(canary can recover by transferring song control to other half of syrinx)

22
Q

Components of song production pathway

A

Higher vocal centre -> RA -> Respiratory control and nXlls

23
Q

Anterior forebrain pathway

A

Critical for song learning

Intermediate route between HVc and RA

24
Q

Why can canaries re-learn?

A

Open-ended learners

Lesion of left HVc causes re-learning in right HVc

25
Q

Effects of lesion in RA

A

Also disrupts singing, showing it is also involved in song production

26
Q

Where are song selective neurones located? Where do they project to?

A

Located in HVc, project to RA and area X

Active when hearing own or conspecific song - encoding song recognition

27
Q

HVc and RA activity around singing

A

Active just before and during

Artificial stimulation causes phrase advance (showing role in CPG)

28
Q

When does this pathway become functional?

A

During sensorimotor phase in zebrafinches, suggesting use in song production, not template forming

29
Q

Summarise song production pathway

A

HVc -> RA -> nXlls and resp. control
Used in song production
HVc lesions disrupt

30
Q

Anterior forebrain pathway consists of

A

HVc -> area X -> DLM -> LMAN -> RA

31
Q

Effects of LMAN lesion in young and mature zebrafinch

A

Young: disrupts singing when mature
Mature: no effect
AFP involved in learning but not singing

32
Q

When does AFP become active in zebrafinch?

A

Sensory phase

Role in learning templates

33
Q

Functions of the two pathways

A

Song production path: song production

Anterior forebrain pathway: learning template

34
Q

Variables affecting amount of singing

A

Gender, species and season

Linked to testosterone levels and size of song nuclei (HVc, RA and LMAN)

35
Q

Effects of testosterone levels in canaries

A

Varies throughout year

Number of syllables increases with test levels

36
Q

Effects of castration and HRT ect.

A

Castrated males fail to develop adult song
Synthetic test given to females causes them to sing
Castrated swamp sparrows sing if given HRT

37
Q

Effects of HVc size on repertoire size

A

Positive correlation for a range of species

38
Q

Difference in HVc size in male canaries from spring to autumn

A

Almost twice the size in spring (HVc: 99% larger, RA: 76% larger)

39
Q

Effects of test treatment on female nuclei

A

Increases size of HVc and RA and causes them to sing

40
Q

What is the reason for the increase in HVc size during sensory phase?

A

Increased number of synapses. New neurones forming
No new ones in sensorimotor phase
Suggests most plasticity occurs in sensory phase, particularly in AFP when template song formed

Behavioural neuro (4 decks)

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