Vocal imitation in human infants and in some orders of birds relies on auditory-guided motor
learning during a sensitive period of development. It proceeds from'babbling'(in humans) …

Learning by imitation is essential for transmitting many aspects of human culture, including
speech, language, art, and music. How the human brain enables imitation remains a …

Behavioural learning depends on the brain's capacity to respond to instructive experience
and is often enhanced during a juvenile sensitive period. How instructive experience acts on …

Quantitative biomechanical models can identify control parameters that are used during
movements, and movement parameters that are encoded by premotor neurons. We fit a …

Songbirds are capable of vocal learning and communication, and are ideally suited to the
study of neural mechanisms of complex sensory and motor processing. Vocal …

Learning to vocalize depends on the ability to adaptively modify the temporal and spectral
features of vocal elements. Neurons that convey motor-related signals to the auditory system …

Higher cognitive function depends on accurate detection and processing of subtle features
of sensory stimuli. Such precise computations require neural circuits to be modulated over …

As in human speech acquisition, songbird vocal learning depends on early auditory
experience. During development, juvenile songbirds listen to and form auditory memories of …

Premotor circuits help generate imitative behaviors and can be activated during observation
of another animal′ s behavior, leading to speculation that these circuits participate in …

Vocal imitation involves incorporating instructive auditory information into relevant motor
circuits through processes that are poorly understood. In zebra finches, we found that …