Auditory feedback is necessary for long-term maintenance of high-frequency sound syllables in the song of adult male budgerigars (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Melopsittacus undulatus</Emphasis>) |
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Authors: | Aiko Watanabe Hiroko Eda-Fujiwara Takeji Kimura |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Japan Women’s University, Bunkyo, Tokyo 112-8681, Japan;(2) Laboratory for Vocal Behavior Mechanisms, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, 2-1 Hirosawa, Saitama 351-0198, Japan |
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Abstract: | Among avian species that communicate using vocalization, songbirds (oscine Passeriformes), hummingbirds (Trochiliformes),
and parrots (Psittaciformes) are vocal learners. Early studies showed that songbirds require auditory feedback for song development
in young and maintenance in adults. To determine whether auditory feedback is also necessary for adult song maintenance in
non-passerine species, we deprived adult male budgerigars (Psittaciformes) of auditory input by surgical cochlear removal.
Songs of the deafened birds changed within 6 months after auditory deprivation. In postoperative songs, high narrowband syllables,
which comprised frequency-modulated narrowband elements with relatively high fundamental frequencies of 2–4 kHz, decreased
significantly. High harmonic broadband syllables, with fundamental frequencies ≥2 kHz, also decreased. The altered proportions
of syllables were subsequently retained, and maintained 12 months after deafening. The sequence linearity score, a parameter
representing the stereotypy of the syllable sequence, was higher than that before deafening. The inter-syllable silence was
prolonged. Little change was observed in the songs of intact and sham-operated birds. The significant decrease in high-frequency
syllables and song alteration followed by stabilization resembled the results with songbirds, although song stabilization
took a long time in budgerigars. Therefore, our results suggest that psittacine budgerigars and oscine songbirds require auditory
feedback similarly for adult song maintenance. |
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Keywords: | Adult song maintenance Auditory feedback Budgerigar Songbird Vocal plasticity |
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