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) …

Songbirds, long of interest to basic neuroscience, have great potential as a model system for
translational neuroscience. Songbirds learn their complex vocal behavior in a manner that …

INTRODUCTION Vocal learning, the ability to imitate sounds, is a trait that has undergone
convergent evolution in several lineages of birds and mammals, including song-learning …

The zebra finch is an important model organism in several fields, with unique relevance to
human neuroscience,. Like other songbirds, the zebra finch communicates through learned …

The gene encoding the forkhead box transcription factor, FOXP2, is essential for developing
the full articulatory power of human language. Mutations of FOXP2 cause developmental …

Based on quantitative cluster analyses of 52 constitutively expressed or behaviorally
regulated genes in 23 brain regions, we present a global view of telencephalic organization …

Vocal learning is a critical behavioral substrate for spoken human language. It is a rare trait
found in three distantly related groups of birds-songbirds, hummingbirds, and parrots. These …

The evolution of novel morphological features, such as feathers, involves the modification of
developmental processes regulated by gene networks. The fact that genetic novelty …

We have developed a new approach to create microsatellite primer sets that have high utility
across a wide range of species. The success of this method was demonstrated using birds …

Dopamine is a key neuromodulatory transmitter in the brain. It acts through dopamine
receptors to affect changes in neural activity, gene expression, and behavior. In songbirds …