Discriminative and reinforcing stimulus properties of music for rats

We trained rats to discriminate music by Bach from that by Stravinsky using operant conditioning. The rats successfully learned the discrimination and transferred their discrimination to novel music by the same artists. Then, we trained rats on concurrent-chain schedule in which the terminal links were associated with different music, Bach or Stravinsky. The rats did not show strong preference for either style of music, although one subject showed a preference for Bach and another subject preferred Stravinsky. Finally, we examined the validity of the concurrent-chain procedure as a method of preference measurement with conspecific vocalization evoked by an aversive experience. Most of the rats preferred white noise to the conspecific vocalization. Therefore, music has a discriminative stimulus property but not a clear reinforcing property for rats.     

Vocal communication in adult greater horseshoe bats, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum

Whereas echolocation in horseshoe bats is well studied, virtually nothing is known about characteristics and function of their communication calls. Therefore, the communication calls produced by a group of captive adult greater horseshoe bats were recorded during various social interactions in a free-flight facility. Analysis revealed that this species exhibited an amazingly rich repertoire of vocalizations varying in numerous spectro-temporal aspects. Calls were classified into 17 syllable types (ten simple syllables and seven composites). Syllables were combined into six types of simple phrases and four combination phrases. The majority of syllables had durations of more than 100 ms with multiple harmonics and fundamental frequencies usually above 20 kHz, although some of them were also audible to humans. Preliminary behavioral observations indicated that many calls were emitted during direct interaction with and in response to social calls from conspecifics without requiring physical contact. Some echolocation-like vocalizations also appeared to clearly serve a communication role. These results not only shed light upon a so far widely neglected aspect of horseshoe bat vocalizations, but also provide the basis for future studies on the neural control of the production of communicative vocalizations in contrast to the production of echolocation pulse sequences.     

四川山鹧鸪繁殖期的鸣声行为特征

2005年4—12月在四川老君山自然保护区,通过计算机声谱分析技术,对四川山鹧鸪(Arborophilarufipectus)雄性的鸣声行为特征进行了研究,其结果表明,雄性单音节鸣声出现在啼叫、保护领域和求偶中,这些鸣声持续时间差异明显,主峰值差异不明显;雄性双音节鸣声出现在啼叫、保护领域、竞争雌体和求偶中,这些鸣声第一音节时间、第二音节时间、音节间隔时间和主峰值差异极显著,全句时间差异不明显;雄性多音节鸣声出现在保护领域、警戒和惊吓中。雄性亚成体多音节鸣声出现在惊吓和警戒中;雄性成体和亚成体警戒鸣叫的音节持续时间、音节间隔时间和主峰值差异均不明显,全句持续时间差异明显;雄性亚成体和雄性成体的惊吓鸣叫音节持续时间、音节间隔时间、全句持续时间和主峰值差异均不明显。四川山鹧鸪表现出的各种鸣声行为是为了保护配偶和防止天敌,使该种群更好地繁衍。     

Central pattern generators for social vocalization: androgen-dependent neurophysiological mechanisms

Historically, most studies of vertebrate central pattern generators (CPGs) have focused on mechanisms for locomotion and respiration. Here, we highlight new results for ectothermic vertebrates, namely teleost fish and amphibians, showing how androgenic steroids can influence the temporal patterning of CPGs for social vocalization. Investigations of vocalizing teleosts show how androgens can rapidly (within minutes) modulate the neurophysiological output of the vocal CPG (fictive vocalizations that mimic the temporal properties of natural vocalizations) inclusive of their divergent actions between species, as well as intraspecific differences between male reproductive morphs. Studies of anuran amphibians (frogs) demonstrate that long-term steroid treatments (wks) can masculinize the fictive vocalizations of females, inclusive of its sensitivity to rapid modulation by serotonin. Given the conserved organization of vocal control systems across vertebrate groups, the vocal CPGs of fish and amphibians provide tractable models for identifying androgen-dependent events that are fundamental to the mechanisms of vocal motor patterning. These basic mechanisms can also inform our understanding of the more complex CPGs for vocalization, and social behaviors in general, that have evolved among birds and mammals.     

The vertebrate social behavior network: evolutionary themes and variations

Based on a wide variety of data, it is now clear that birds and teleost (bony) fish possess a core "social behavior network" within the basal forebrain and midbrain that is homologous to the social behavior network of mammals. The nodes of this network are reciprocally connected, contain receptors for sex steroid hormones, and are involved in multiple forms of social behavior. Other hodological features and neuropeptide distributions are likewise very similar across taxa. This evolutionary conservation represents a boon for experiments on phenotypic behavioral variation, as the extraordinary social diversity of teleost fish and songbirds can now be used to generate broadly relevant insights into issues of brain function that are not particularly tractable in other vertebrate groups. Two such lines of research are presented here, each of which addresses functional variation within the network as it relates to divergent patterns of social behavior. In the first set of experiments, we have used a sexually polymorphic fish to demonstrate that natural selection can operate independently on hypothalamic neuroendocrine functions that are relevant for (1) gonadal regulation and (2) sex-typical behavioral modulation. In the second set of experiments, we have exploited the diversity of avian social organizations and ecologies to isolate species-typical group size as a quasi-independent variable. These experiments have shown that specific areas and peptidergic components of the social behavior network possess functional properties that evolve in parallel with divergence and convergence in sociality.     

Rapid elevations in both steroid hormones and vocal signaling during playback challenge: a field experiment in Gulf toadfish

It is well known that plasma androgens are rapidly released in response to aggressive or sexual stimuli in a broad array of vertebrates. However, experimental work on behavioral functions of rapid androgen elevation is rare. A combination of field-based behavioral experiments and lab-based neuroendocrinological approaches is beginning to show how steroid hormones rapidly regulate the expression of vocal communication signals in Gulf toadfish (Opsanus beta). Male toadfish emit multiharmonic "boatwhistles" and shorter-duration, broadband "grunts" during intraspecific communication. Neurophysiology experiments demonstrate that androgens and glucocorticoids rapidly modify vocal motor patterning in male toadfish. In this study, we simulated territorial intrusions (vocal "challenges") with acoustic playbacks to toadfish in the field, and observed simultaneous, rapid (within 5-20 min) changes in vocalizations and steroid hormones. Both plasma androgens and vocal activity increased following the presentation of pure tones that mimic the duration of natural boatwhistles (275 ms), while they remained unchanged following playbacks of tone stimuli that mimic the duration of grunts (75 ms) or the upper-range of boatwhistles (475 ms). Circulating glucocorticoids were elevated in calling vs. non-calling males but were unaffected by playback stimuli, suggesting a role in the energetics of vocalization. These results strongly suggest that one function of rapid androgen elevation in response to social challenge is to mediate similarly rapid changes in territorial vocal signaling. Given the conserved organization of neuroendocrine and vocal motor systems, rapid steroid action on vocalization mechanisms may be true of other vocal vertebrates as well, including birds and mammals.     

野生猕猴声行为的研究

本文通过在华南四省区对四个野生种群猕猴声行为的观察和现场录音,对它们的叫声声学特性,行为模式和其它个体对其相应的行为反应进行了定量的分析研究,并得出１１种不同的声行为,这些声行为有相互不同的声学特性,不同的行为模式并引起其它个体相应的行为反应,从而起着通讯的作用。叫声在猕猴的声行为通讯中,一些借助视觉提示,至少以不同的刺激度来“表示”某一类事物,并得到个体间的“共识”有些甚至无需视觉提示而单独传递     

刺激黄雀新纹状体前部大细胞核外侧部对发声和呼吸的影响

实验材料为乌拉坦麻醉的鸣禽黄雀（Ｃａｒｄｕｅｌｉｓ ｓｐｉｎｕｓ）。观察了电及化学刺激新纹状体前部大细胞核外侧部（１ＭＡＮ）对发声和呼吸的影响。结果如下：（１）电刺激１ＭＡＮ的不同区域都引起鸣叫反应。（２）长串电脉冲刺激１ＭＡＮ使呼吸频率增加,呼吸幅度降低。（３）短串电脉冲刺激１ＭＡＮ,落位于吸气相,产生吸气要断效应;落位于呼气相,可使呼气时程延长,以冲刺激１ＭＡＮ,落位于吸气相,产生吸气切断效应     

鸟类呼吸与发声的神经调控

鸟类的发声产生于呼吸过程的呼气相;呼吸与发声中枢控制通路间具有复杂的纤维联系,构成“发声通讯复合体”;前脑的ＲＡ是鸣禽协调呼吸与发声的高位中枢;脑干部的ＤＭ、ｎＲＡｍ、ＰＢｖｌ、ＩＯＳ、ＲＶＬ及Ⅻｔｓ等核团参与呼吸肌及鸣肌活动的调节,使呼吸与发声的配合准确、协调。     

鸣禽控制发声核团和脑干听觉核团及神经通路的综合研究

采用辣根过氧化物酶顺、逆行标记方法对鸣禽鸟蜡嘴雀控制发声的神经核团、脑干听觉核团及神经通路,从外周至中枢逐级进行了追踪研究。结果表明：１．控制发声的神经核团及通路,前脑古纹状体腹内侧粗核是大脑控制发声的重要核团之一,它发出枕中脑后束经端脑前联合呈双侧支配延脑中间核,中间核又发出舌下神经经气管鸣管分支支配鸣肌,中间核同时也接受中脑背内侧核的支配,２．脑干听觉中枢及通路,中脑背外侧核是脑干较高级听觉中枢、初级中枢耳蜗核由角核和前庭外侧核组成,ＮＡ发出以对侧为主的纤维经外侧丘系可直接传入中脑背外侧核形成脑干听觉直接通路。