Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior

Gekko gecko as a model organism for understanding aspects of laryngeal vocal evolution

This study investigates alarm calls in Gekko gecko, revealing distinct call types and laryngeal biomechanics, suggesting G. gecko as a model for understanding vertebrate vocal evolution.

A model of marmoset monkey vocal turn-taking

The paper develops a model to analyze vocal turn-taking in marmoset monkeys and identifies key factors influencing this behavior, showing similar patterns in meerkats.

Slow and steady: universal learnable structure in animal vocalizations

This study identifies universal low-frequency temporal features in vocalizations across species, showing they span a common acoustic space and predict future time courses.

Maternal behavior influences vocal practice and learning processes in the greater sac-winged bat

This study shows that maternal behavior affects vocal practice, syllable repertoire size, and mature syllable production in greater sac-winged bat pups.

Bursts from the past: Intrinsic properties link a network model to zebra finch song

The paper links neuronal intrinsic properties to learned song structure in zebra finches through a network model showing how rebound excitation enables sequence representation.

AVN: A Deep Learning Approach for the Analysis of Birdsong

AVN is a deep learning pipeline for analyzing zebra finch songs, providing interpretable features and comparing song phenotypes across experiments and developmental stages.

Spectrograms of kent sounds from seven Ivory-billed Woodpecker expeditions show 587 Hertz as a pattern

The paper analyzes audio evidence from seven Ivory-billed Woodpecker expeditions and identifies a 587 Hz pattern in kent sounds, suggesting the species may still exist.

Progressive postnatal hearing development limits early parent-offspring vocal communication in the zebra finch

This study measures auditory development in zebra finches and finds that hatchlings have significantly lower hearing sensitivity than adults, challenging the idea of early parent-offspring vocal communication in embryos.

Neural activity for complex sounds in the marmoset medial prefrontal cortex

The paper investigates neuronal responses in marmoset medial prefrontal cortex area 32 to complex sounds, finding that over half of neurons respond to conspecific vocalizations and show dynamic activity patterns.

SqueakOut: Autoencoder-based segmentation of mouse ultrasonic vocalizations

SqueakOut is a lightweight autoencoder for segmenting mouse ultrasonic vocalizations from spectrograms, achieving a Dice score of 90.22.

Lesions in a songbird vocal circuit increase variability in song syntax

This study shows that lesions in the mMAN region increase variability in song syntax of Bengalese finches, suggesting its role in sequencing vocal elements.

The Mouse Inferior Colliculus Responds Preferentially to Non-Ultrasonic Vocalizations

The paper shows that in mice, ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) are less represented in the inferior colliculus compared to lower frequency social vocalizations, despite being more common.

Estradiol and Flutamide Effects on the Song System of Developing Male Zebra Finches

This study investigates the effects of estradiol and flutamide on the song system of developing male zebra finches, showing demasculinizing effects of early estradiol on HVC and mixed results for flutamide.

Vocal learning-associated convergent evolution in mammalian proteins and regulatory elements

The paper identifies proteins and regulatory elements associated with vocal learning by analyzing bat neural activity and epigenomic data.

Predictive and error coding for vocal communication signals in the songbird auditory forebrain

The paper investigates predictive coding in songbird auditory brain regions by analyzing how neurons respond to vocal signals using predictive and error representations.

Cingulate cortex shapes early postnatal development of social vocalizations

This study shows that early damage to the anterior cingulate cortex in marmosets disrupts the development of social vocalizations and alters downstream brain structures.

A Functional and Non-Homuncular Representation of the Larynx in the Primary Motor Cortex of Mice, a Vocal Non-Learner

This study shows that the primary motor cortex in mice influences laryngeal and jaw muscles through direct and indirect projections, supporting the continuum hypothesis of vocal learning.

Neural dynamics in the rodent motor cortex enables flexible control of vocal timing

The paper investigates neural dynamics in the rodent motor cortex during vocal production, showing temporal scaling of premotor firing patterns enables vocal flexibility.

The breath shape controls intonation of mouse vocalizations

The paper shows that intonation in mouse vocalizations is controlled by breath patterns generated by the iRO brainstem circuit, revealing a novel mechanism for pitch control.

Peak performance singing requires daily vocal exercise in songbirds

The paper shows that daily vocal exercise is necessary for songbirds to maintain peak vocal muscle performance and that this affects song quality and mate preference.

Anterior forebrain pathway in parrots is necessary for producing learned vocalizations with individual signatures

The paper investigates the role of the anterior forebrain pathway (AFP) in parrots' vocal learning, finding that its inactivation disrupts the production of learned vocalizations with individual signatures, unlike songbirds.

Songbird mesostriatal dopamine pathways are spatially segregated before the onset of vocal learning

The paper shows that mesostriatal dopamine pathways in songbirds are spatially segregated before vocal learning begins.

Frontal cortex activity underlying the production of diverse vocal signals during social communication in marmoset monkeys

This study examines frontal cortex activity in marmoset monkeys during social vocal communication, finding distinct neural patterns for different vocalizations and theta-band oscillations linked to vocal phrase timing.

Brainstem premotor mechanisms underlying vocal production and vocal-respiratory coordination

The paper identifies RAmVOC neurons as critical for vocal pattern generation and vocal-respiratory coupling in mice.

Cortical circuits modulate mouse social vocalizations

This study shows that the anterior cingulate cortex modulates USV production in male mice during courtship through increased neural activity and Ca2+ dynamics.

Goal-directed vocal planning in a songbird

This study shows zebra finches can plan vocal changes to recover a target song without immediate sensory experience.

Different populations of midbrain neurons control the production of distinct acoustic categories of vocalization

The paper shows that distinct midbrain neuron populations control different acoustic categories of vocalizations in mice.

Dynamic top-down biasing implements rapid adaptive changes to individual movements

The paper identifies a dynamic top-down influence of LMAN on RA during birdsong learning, showing strengthened co-fluctuations and context-specific motor-biasing.

Auditory cortical feedback signals retune during songbird courtship

The paper shows that auditory neurons in zebra finches adjust their response to distorted feedback during courtship singing compared to solo singing.

Social experience dependent plasticity of mouse song selectivity without that of song components

The paper shows that mouse primary auditory cortex neurons adaptively represent entire acoustic sequences based on social experience without altering selectivity for individual syllables.