The proposed research will directly measure the effects of learning on neuronal survival in the budgerigar, a small species of parrot. Parrots provide a useful model for the study of language acquisition in humans, as they are one of the few non-human groups of animals that learn new vocalizations at any phase of the life cycle. Recent work has shown that experience can influence the survival of new neurons, suggesting that enhanced neuronal survival may be a mechanism for learning. The birth of new neurons has been demonstrated in several taxonomic groups, in the hippocampus and the songbird vocal control regions of the brain. The first experiment will determine whether or not social enrichment leads to increased cell survival in vocal control regions of the budgerigar brain. The second experiment will employ a learning paradigm recently developed by the applicant showing that male budgerigars quickly and reliably imitated their mates, although with varying levels accuracy. We will measure whether or not the accuracy of the males' imitations covary of neuronal survival.
| Werner, Lynne A; Levi, Ellen C; Keefe, Douglas H (2010) Ear-canal wideband acoustic transfer functions of adults and two- to nine-month-old infants. Ear Hear 31:587-98 |
