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Related Experiment Videos

For whom the bird sings: context-dependent gene expression

E D Jarvis1, C Scharff, M R Grossman

  • 1Laboratory of Animal Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021, USA. jarvis@neuro.duke.edu

Neuron
|November 10, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Male zebra finches exhibit distinct brain activation patterns for directed and undirected singing. These differences in the anterior forebrain vocal pathway and vocal output nucleus highlight unique neural processes underlying song delivery, even when vocalizations are similar.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Animal Behavior
  • Bioacoustics

Background:

  • Male zebra finches produce two distinct song types: directed and undirected.
  • These songs differ significantly in delivery and social context, despite similar vocalizations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the neural correlates of directed versus undirected singing in male zebra finches.
  • To identify brain regions with differential activation patterns associated with each song type.

Main Methods:

  • Examined ZENK gene activation in the anterior forebrain vocal pathway and the vocal output nucleus (RA).
  • Compared gene activation patterns during female-directed singing versus undirected singing.

Main Results:

  • Differential ZENK gene activation was observed in medial and lateral "cortical-basal ganglia" subdivisions of the anterior forebrain vocal pathway.

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  • Distinct differences in brain activation were also found in the vocal output nucleus (RA).

    • Conclusions:

    • Despite the subtle differences in vocalizations, directed and undirected singing in zebra finches elicit dramatically different brain activation patterns.
    • These findings suggest distinct neural mechanisms govern the production and delivery of different song types in this species.