Neural mechanisms of communication coordinating vocalization and body movements in courtship behavior of songbirds

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K16472
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 51020:Cognitive and brain science-related
• Research Institution: Teikyo University
• Principal Investigator: Mori Chihiro 帝京大学, 薬学部, 助教 (00772253)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 鳴禽 / コミュニケーション / 聴覚 / 求愛行動 / 発声行動

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Many animal species communicate by combining vocalizations and multimodal signals, as in human speech with body gestures. Songbirds acquire songs composed of complex sound sequences through learning. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the neural mechanisms that control communication combining song and body movements and the neural mechanisms of processing complex sound sequences in songbirds. Behavioral analysis revealed the possibility that song and jumping are controlled in a coordinated manner during courtship behavior. We also showed that local inhibition of the motor control region of song did not affect jumping. In neurophysiological experiments, we found mismatch negativity like responses in higher-order auditory area elicited by changes in regular pattern possibly reflect deviance detection.

Free Research Field

行動神経生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、鳴禽類の求愛行動を自動で記録・追跡可能にしたことで、学習により獲得された歌と跳躍運動が求愛という特定の社会的文脈でいかに協調されているかについて、その一端を明らかにできた。また、鳴禽類の高次聴覚領域において聴覚記憶処理に関わるミスマッチ聴覚応答を計測したことで、今後その神経機構を調べることにより、逸脱検出だけでなく、ヒトの構文処理との比較可能な視点を提供できる研究へと発展されることが期待できる。