High-capacity auditory memory for vocal communication in a social songbird
| Autor: | K. Yu, Frédéric E. Theunissen, W. E. Wood |
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| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
Male
Echoic memory Vocal communication Identity (social science) 03 medical and health sciences 0302 clinical medicine Animals Zebra finch Research Articles 030304 developmental biology 0303 health sciences Communication Multidisciplinary biology business.industry SciAdv r-articles High capacity Recognition Psychology biology.organism_classification Songbird Female Finches Vocalization Animal business Psychology 030217 neurology & neurosurgery Research Article Neuroscience |
| Zdroj: | Science Advances |
| ISSN: | 2375-2548 |
| Popis: | Zebra finches can quickly form long-term auditory memories of up to 50 conspecifics based on their song or distance call. Effective vocal communication often requires the listener to recognize the identity of a vocalizer, and this recognition is dependent on the listener’s ability to form auditory memories. We tested the memory capacity of a social songbird, the zebra finch, for vocalizer identities using conditioning experiments and found that male and female zebra finches can remember a large number of vocalizers (mean, 42) based solely on the individual signatures found in their songs and distance calls. These memories were formed within a few trials, were generalized to previously unheard renditions, and were maintained for up to a month. A fast and high-capacity auditory memory for vocalizer identity has not been demonstrated previously in any nonhuman animals and is an important component of vocal communication in social species. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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