The use of vocalizations to communicate information and elaborate social bonds is an
adaptation seen in many vertebrate species. Human speech is an extreme version of this …

The most language-like aspect of the song of songbirds is its development: as with human
speech, birdsong develops through vocal production learning, in which individuals modify …

Zebra finches, a species of songbirds, learn to sing by creating an auditory template through
the memorization of model songs (sensory learning phase) and subsequently translating …

In his pioneering research on the neural mechanisms of filial imprinting, Gabriel Horn has
gone a long way to fulfilling Karl Lashley's dream of finding the 'engram'or memory trace in …

Animals learn many complex behaviors by emulating the behavior of more experienced
individuals. This essential, yet still poorly understood, form of learning relies on the ability to …

Reptiles and birds are a fascinating group of animals that is most critical to understanding
the evolution of vertebrate brains. Birds are the only class of vertebrates that can rival …

In birds and human babies, the ontogeny of vocal learning shows striking parallels: Both are
predisposed toward their species-specific signals at birth, require exposure to speciestypical …

Songbirds have become the most prominent animal model to reveal the neural mechanisms
underlying vocal learning. Similar to other forms of sensorimotor learning, vocal learning in …

Highlights•Memories formed during social experience are used to guide vocal
imitation.•Vocal motor circuits help encode memories used to guide vocal imitation.•Artificial …

The origins of music and musical emotions is still an enigma, here I propose a
comprehensive hypothesis on the origins and evolution of music, dance, and speech from a …