How learning affects vocalizations is a key question in the study of animal communication
and human language. Parallel efforts in birds and humans have taught us much about how …

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 …

A landmark account of the neurobiological basis of language—arguing that species-specific
brain differences may be at the root of the human capacity for language. Language makes …

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

While humans have developed a sophisticated and unique system of verbal auditory
communication, they also share a more common and evolutionarily important nonverbal …

Abstract Language as a computational cognitive mechanism appears to be unique to the
human species. However, there are remarkable behavioral similarities between song …

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 …

Biomedical research focusing on physiological, morphological, behavioral, and other
aspects of development has long depended upon the chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) as …

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 …

Birdsong has long been a subject of extensive research in the fields of ethology as well as
neuroscience. Neural and behavioral mechanisms underlying song acquisition and …