Dataset Information

Linked control of syllable sequence and phonology in birdsong.

ABSTRACT: The control of sequenced behaviors, including human speech, requires that the brain coordinate the production of discrete motor elements with their concatenation into complex patterns. In birdsong, another sequential vocal behavior, the acoustic structure (phonology) of individual song elements, or "syllables," must be coordinated with the sequencing of syllables into a song. However, it is unknown whether syllable phonology is independent of the sequence in which a syllable is produced. We quantified interactions between phonology and sequence in Bengalese finch song by examining both convergent syllables, which can be preceded by at least two different syllables and divergent syllables, which can be followed by at least two different syllables. Phonology differed significantly based on the identity of the preceding syllable for 97% of convergent syllables and differed significantly with the identity of the upcoming syllable for 92% of divergent syllables. Furthermore, sequence-dependent phonological differences extended at least two syllables away from the convergent or divergent syllable. To determine whether these phenomena reflect differences in central control, we analyzed premotor neural activity in the robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA). Activity associated with a syllable varied significantly depending on the sequence in which the syllable was produced, suggesting that sequence-dependent variations in premotor activity contribute to sequence-dependent differences in phonology. Moreover, these data indicate that RA activity could contribute to the sequencing of syllables. Together, these results suggest that, rather than being controlled independently, the sequence and phonology of birdsong are intimately related, as is the case for human speech.

SUBMITTER: Wohlgemuth MJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2965410 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Linked control of syllable sequence and phonology in birdsong.

Wohlgemuth Melville J MJ Sober Samuel J SJ Brainard Michael S MS

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 20100901 39

The control of sequenced behaviors, including human speech, requires that the brain coordinate the production of discrete motor elements with their concatenation into complex patterns. In birdsong, another sequential vocal behavior, the acoustic structure (phonology) of individual song elements, or "syllables," must be coordinated with the sequencing of syllables into a song. However, it is unknown whether syllable phonology is independent of the sequence in which a syllable is produced. We quan ...[more]

PMID: 20881112

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Project description:Zebra finches rely mainly on syllable phonology rather than on syllable sequence when they discriminate between two songs. However, they can also learn to discriminate two strings containing the same set of syllables by their sequence. How learning about the phonological characteristics of syllables and their sequence relate to each other and to the composition of the stimuli is still an open question. We compared whether and how the zebra finches' relative sensitivity for syllable phonology and syllable sequence depends on the differences between syllable strings. Two groups of zebra finches were trained in a Go-Left/Go-Right task to discriminate either between two strings in which each string contained a unique set of song syllables ('Different-syllables group') or two strings in which both strings contained the same set of syllables, but in a different sequential order ('Same-syllables group'). We assessed to what extent the birds in the two experimental groups attend to the spectral characteristics and the sequence of the syllables by measuring the responses to test strings consisting of spectral modifications or sequence changes. Our results showed no difference in the number of trials needed to discriminate strings consisting of either different or identical sets of syllables. Both experimental groups attended to changes in spectral features in a similar way, but the group for which both training strings consisted of the same set of syllables responded more strongly to changes in sequence than the group for which the training strings consisted of different sets of syllables. This outcome suggests the presence of an additional learning process to learn about syllable sequence when learning about syllable phonology is not sufficient to discriminate two strings. Our study thus demonstrates that the relative importance of syllable phonology and sequence depends on how these features vary among stimuli. This indicates cognitive flexibility in the acoustic features that songbirds might use in their song recognition.

Dataset Information

Linked control of syllable sequence and phonology in birdsong.

Publications

Linked control of syllable sequence and phonology in birdsong.

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