Sexual dimorphisms in the neural vocal control system in song birds: ontogeny and phylogeny

Sex differences in the neural song system in oscine song birds develop in response to estradiol secreted during early periods of development. Estradiol produces sex differences in cell number and in the proportion of cells which are steroid targets. The pattern of development of these sex differences varies in different brain regions, suggesting that the mechanisms of estradiol regulation of neural development may also vary. The magnitude of sexual dimorphism in the neural song system varies across species, and is generally correlated with the magnitude of sexual dimorphism in vocal ability. Large species differences in neural structure can potentially be explained by small differences in the ontogenetic pattern of estradiol secretion, as is suggested by studies of neural development.