Auditory Responses in Avian Vocal Motor Neurons: A Motor Theory for Song Perception in Birds
- 19 July 1985
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 229 (4710) , 279-282
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.4012321
Abstract
The hypoglossal motor neurons that innervate the vocal organ (syrinx) of the male zebra finch show a selective, long-latency (50-millisecond) response to sound. This response is eliminated by lesions to forebrain song-control nuclei. Different song syllables elicit a response from different syringeal motor neurons. Conspecific vocalizations may therefore be perceived as members of a set of vocal gestures and thus distinct from other environmental sounds. This hypothesis is an avian parallel to the motor theory of speech perception in humans.This publication has 21 references indexed in Scilit:
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