A Relationship between the Characteristics of the Oval Nucleus of the Mesopallium and Parrot Vocal Response to Playback
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A Relationship between the Characteristics of the Oval Nucleus of the Mesopallium and Parrot Vocal Response to Playback. / Walløe, Solveig; Chakraborty, Mukta; Balsby, Thorsten J. S.; Jarvis, Erich D.; Dabelsteen, Torben; Pakkenberg, Bente.
In: Brain, Behavior and Evolution, Vol. 96, No. 1, 2021, p. 37-48.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - A Relationship between the Characteristics of the Oval Nucleus of the Mesopallium and Parrot Vocal Response to Playback
AU - Walløe, Solveig
AU - Chakraborty, Mukta
AU - Balsby, Thorsten J. S.
AU - Jarvis, Erich D.
AU - Dabelsteen, Torben
AU - Pakkenberg, Bente
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Correlations between differences in animal behavior and brain structures have been used to infer function of those structures. Brain region size has especially been suggested to be important for an animal's behavioral capability, controlled by specific brain regions. The oval nucleus of the mesopallium (MO) is part of the anterior forebrain vocal learning pathway in the parrot brain. Here, we compare brain volume and total number of neurons in MO of three parrot species (the peach-fronted conure, Eupsittula aurea, the peach-faced lovebird, Agapornis roseicollis, and the budgerigar, Melopsittacus undulatus), relating the total neuron numbers with the vocal response to playbacks of each species. We find that individuals with the highest number of neurons in MO had the shortest vocal latency. The peach-fronted conures showed the shortest vocal latency and largest number of MO neurons, the peach-faced lovebird had intermediary levels of both, and the budgerigar had the longest latency and least number of neurons. These findings indicate the MO nucleus as one candidate region that may be part of what controls the vocal capacity of parrots.
AB - Correlations between differences in animal behavior and brain structures have been used to infer function of those structures. Brain region size has especially been suggested to be important for an animal's behavioral capability, controlled by specific brain regions. The oval nucleus of the mesopallium (MO) is part of the anterior forebrain vocal learning pathway in the parrot brain. Here, we compare brain volume and total number of neurons in MO of three parrot species (the peach-fronted conure, Eupsittula aurea, the peach-faced lovebird, Agapornis roseicollis, and the budgerigar, Melopsittacus undulatus), relating the total neuron numbers with the vocal response to playbacks of each species. We find that individuals with the highest number of neurons in MO had the shortest vocal latency. The peach-fronted conures showed the shortest vocal latency and largest number of MO neurons, the peach-faced lovebird had intermediary levels of both, and the budgerigar had the longest latency and least number of neurons. These findings indicate the MO nucleus as one candidate region that may be part of what controls the vocal capacity of parrots.
KW - Neuron number
KW - Oval nucleus of the mesopallium
KW - Parrot
KW - Stereology
KW - Vocal learning
KW - BUDGERIGARS MELOPSITTACUS-UNDULATUS
KW - SEXUAL-DIMORPHISM
KW - CONTROL PATHWAYS
KW - CONTACT CALLS
KW - SEASONAL PLASTICITY
KW - FUNCTIONAL-ANATOMY
KW - CONTROL-SYSTEM
KW - NEURON NUMBER
KW - SONG NUCLEI
KW - CONVERGENCE
U2 - 10.1159/000517489
DO - 10.1159/000517489
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 34284396
VL - 96
SP - 37
EP - 48
JO - Brain, Behavior and Evolution
JF - Brain, Behavior and Evolution
SN - 0006-8977
IS - 1
ER -
ID: 276376764