Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3A 1B1.
J Exp Biol. 2012 Jan 15;215(Pt 2):201-9. doi: 10.1242/jeb.056911.
Recent experiments in divergent fields of birdsong have revealed that vocal performance is important for reproductive success and under active control by distinct neural circuits. Vocal consistency, the degree to which the spectral properties (e.g. dominant or fundamental frequency) of song elements are produced consistently from rendition to rendition, has been highlighted as a biologically important aspect of vocal performance. Here, we synthesize functional, developmental and mechanistic (neurophysiological) perspectives to generate an integrated understanding of this facet of vocal performance. Behavioral studies in the field and laboratory have found that vocal consistency is affected by social context, season and development, and, moreover, positively correlated with reproductive success. Mechanistic investigations have revealed a contribution of forebrain and basal ganglia circuits and sex steroid hormones to the control of vocal consistency. Across behavioral, developmental and mechanistic studies, a convergent theme regarding the importance of vocal practice in juvenile and adult songbirds emerges, providing a basis for linking these levels of analysis. By understanding vocal consistency at these levels, we gain an appreciation for the various dimensions of song control and plasticity and argue that genes regulating the function of basal ganglia circuits and sex steroid hormones could be sculpted by sexual selection.
最近在鸟类鸣叫的不同领域的实验表明，发声表现对于繁殖成功很重要，并且受到不同神经回路的主动控制。发声一致性，即从一个表现到另一个表现时，歌曲元素的光谱特性（例如主频率或基本频率）的一致性程度，已被强调为发声表现的一个重要生物学方面。在这里，我们综合了功能、发育和机制（神经生理学）的观点，以生成对这一发声表现方面的综合理解。在野外和实验室的行为研究中发现，发声一致性受到社会环境、季节和发育的影响，并且与繁殖成功呈正相关。机制研究揭示了前脑和基底神经节回路以及性类固醇激素对发声一致性的控制作用。通过对行为、发育和机制研究的综合分析，我们发现了幼年和成年鸣禽在发声练习中的重要性的趋同主题，为联系这些分析层面提供了基础。通过在这些层面上了解发声一致性，我们可以更好地理解歌曲控制和可塑性的各个方面，并认为调节基底神经节回路和性类固醇激素功能的基因可能受到性选择的影响。
