Behavioural neurobiology of animal communication systems

这项研究计划的主要重点是研究鸣禽听到自己物种的发声时大脑和行为之间的联系。就像人类学习说话一样，鸣禽也学习发声：年轻的雄性鸣鸟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听取其他雄性的意见。雌性会听雄性的歌声来选择配偶。当鸟类听到歌声和其他发声时，两性大脑中都有特定的区域处于活跃状态。然而，与男性的歌曲学习和产生相比，对发声的总体知觉以及知觉或神经区域的任何季节性可塑性的研究要少得多，特别是在女性。我的研究计划将具体考察同种发声知觉的行为和神经方面，这项研究的目标包括：1)发声感知的准确性取决于发声频率相对于一年的时间2)神经对季节性适当和不适当发声的反应3)与发声知觉相关的神经区的季节性可塑性4)季节性交替的空间任务、食物储存和距离知觉与与空间记忆相关的潜在神经区域-海马体之间的关系。这项研究将通过提供知觉方面的信息，提供更完整的大脑季节性和鸣禽行为的图景，而知觉是以前被忽视的研究领域。

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.