Behavioural neurobiology of animal communication systems

这个研究项目的主要重点是研究当鸣禽听到自己物种的声音时，大脑和行为之间的联系。就像人类学习语言一样，鸣禽学习它们的发声：年轻的雄性鸣禽必须听到成年雄性的歌声，才能在成年后发出准确的歌声。雄性在保卫领地时也会倾听其他雄性的声音。雌性通过听雄性的歌来选择配偶。当鸟类听到歌声和其他声音时，两性大脑中都有特定的区域处于活跃状态。然而，与雄性的歌曲学习和创作相比，对一般发声的感知以及感知或神经区域的任何季节性可塑性的研究要少得多，尤其是在雌性身上。我的研究项目将从行为学和神经学两个方面研究同视发声的感知。具体来说，本研究的目标包括：1)发声感知的准确性取决于相对于一年中的时间的产生频率2)对季节性适当和不适当发声的神经反应3)与发声感知相关的神经区域的季节性可塑性4)季节性交替的空间任务、食物储存和距离感知与与空间记忆相关的潜在神经区域海马之间的关系。这项研究将通过提供关于感知的信息（一个以前被忽视的研究领域），为鸣禽的大脑和行为的季节性提供更完整的图景。

The main focus of this research program is to study the links between brain and behaviour when songbirds listen to vocalizations from their own species. Like humans learn speech, songbirds learn their vocalizations: young male songbirds must hear  adult males sing in order to produce accurate song as adults. Males also listen to other males when defending territory. Females listen to male song for mate choice. Both sexes also have specific regions in the brain that are active when birds listen to song and other vocalizations. However, compared to song learning  and production in males, perception of vocalizations in general and any seasonal plasticity in perception or neural regions has  been studied far less, especially in females. My research program will examine both behavioural and neural aspects of perception of conspecific vocalizations Specifically, the objectives of this research include the study of: 1) accuracy in perception of vocalizations depending on frequency of production relative to time of year 2) neural response to seasonally appropriate and inappropriate vocalizations 3) seasonal plasticity of neural regions associated with perception of vocalizations 4) relationship between seasonally alternating spatial tasks, food-storing and distance perception and an underlying neural region associated with spatial memory, the hippocampus. This research will provide a more complete picture of seasonality in brain and behaviour in songbirds by providing information on perception, a previously neglected area of research.