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Biological Clocks and Seasonal Responses

Biological Clocks and Seasonal Responses

The circadian—or biological—clock is an intrinsic, timekeeping, molecular mechanism that allows plants to coordinate physiological activities over 24-hour cycles called circadian rhythms. Photoperiodism is a collective term for the biological responses of plants to variations in the relative lengths of dark and light periods. The period of light-exposure is called the photoperiod.

Auditory Pathway

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Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) with Auditory Stimulation in Songbirds

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) with Auditory Stimulation in Songbirds

Published on: June 3, 2013

Structural changes between seasons in the songbird auditory forebrain.

Geert De Groof¹, Marleen Verhoye, Colline Poirier

¹Bio-Imaging Laboratory, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. Geert.DeGroof@ua.ac.be

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience

|October 30, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Male songbirds

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Animal Behavior
Avian Biology

Background:

Seasonal songbirds exhibit remarkable plasticity in their song control system (SCS).
Male starlings sing year-round, with heightened sexual motivation during the breeding season due to elevated testosterone.
Previous research focused on the SCS, but seasonal changes in other brain regions remain less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate structural seasonal changes in auditory processing and socio-sexual behavior regions of the male starling brain.
To determine if seasonal brain plasticity extends beyond the song control system.

Main Methods:

Utilized in vivo Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) to measure brain region volumes and tissue characteristics.
Compared breeding and nonbreeding seasons in nine adult male starlings.
Performed volumetric analysis and DTI data analysis.

Main Results:

Demonstrated extreme seasonal plasticity in the songbird brain, extending beyond the SCS.
Observed seasonal telencephalon volume changes and significant volumetric changes in the caudal nidopallium (NCM).
Detected seasonal alterations in cellular attributes within the NCM and social behavior regions using DTI.

Conclusions:

The avian brain exhibits significant seasonal dynamism, preparing for breeding season demands.
Seasonal plasticity impacts not only the song control system but also auditory and social brain regions.
This study highlights a more widespread seasonal adaptation in the songbird brain than previously recognized.