Introductory gestures before songbird vocal displays are shaped by learning and biological predispositions.

ABSTRACT: Numerous animal displays begin with introductory gestures. For example, lizards start their head-bobbing displays with introductory push-ups, and many songbirds begin their vocal displays by repeating introductory notes (INs) before producing their learned song. Among songbirds, the acoustic structure and the number of INs produced before song vary considerably between individuals in a species. While similar variation in songs between individuals is a result of learning, whether variations in INs are also due to learning remains poorly understood. Here, using natural and experimental tutoring with male zebra finches, we show that mean IN number and IN acoustic structure are learned from a tutor. Interestingly, IN properties and how well INs were learned, were not correlated with the accura

SUBMITTER: Kalra S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7893256 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature