![]() The NCM and CMM may be homologous with subdivisions of the mammalian auditory association cortex, which in humans are associated with auditory learning in relation to speech acquisition.įurther multidisciplinary research is needed to determine whether the NCM and CMM contain the neural substrates of song memory, or whether this information is stored elsewhere in the brain. The CMM overlaps with the intermediate and medial mesopallium (IMM) that contains the neural substrate for imprinting memory in domestic chicks. The NCM might be more directly functionally linked to the premotor nuclei in the song system. The NCM and the CMM might be parallel stores that contain the neural substrate for tutor (or father's) song memory, or the 'template'. Neuronal activation in the NCM and CMM is not an artefact of isolation rearing, and is not related to attentional mechanisms. When female zebra finches that were reared with their fathers were re-exposed to their fathers' song, they showed significantly greater neuronal activation in the caudomedial mesopallium (CMM), but not in the NCM or hippocampus, compared with when they were exposed to novel song. Zebra finch females do not sing, but nevertheless can learn the characteristics of their father's song and form a preference for it over novel songs. An electrophysiological study showed that a familiarity index, based on neuronal habituation rates in the NCM, was significantly greater in tutored males than in untutored males, and significantly positively correlated with the strength of song learning. In one of these regions, the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM), neuronal activation on exposure to the tutor song is significantly correlated with the strength of song learning. Two regions outside the song system show neuronal activation (measured as increased expression of immediate early genes) when zebra finches are exposed to song. Initial claims that there are correlations between functional (for example, seasonal or sex) song differences and differences in song system morphology have not been supported by recent findings. The rostral pathway is involved in song perception and in vocal sensorimotor learning. Within the song system, the caudal pathway is important for song production. ![]() ![]() ![]() This occurs in two phases: a memorization phase, early in life, during which the young bird forms a neural representation (a 'template') of the song of a tutor and a sensorimotor phase, during which the bird's own vocal output is matched to the stored template.Ī network of interconnected brain nuclei, known as the 'song system', is involved in the perception, learning and production of song. Songbirds need to learn their songs from an adult conspecific. Song learning in songbirds has strong similarities with speech acquisition in human infants. ![]()
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