Three models of song learning: Evidence from behavior

✍ Scribed by Marler, Peter

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 131 KB
• Volume: 33
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-3034
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-4695(19971105)33:5<501::aid-neu2>3.0.co;2-8

✦ Synopsis

Research on avian song learning sals that are recognized innately but fail to develop has traditionally been based on an instructional in songs of social isolates. A third model combines model, as exemplified by the sensorimotor model of instruction, in the memorization phase, with selection song development. Several large-scale, species-wide during song production. An overproduced repertoire field studies of learned birdsongs have revealed that of plastic songs previously memorized by instruction variation is narrowly restricted to certain aspects of is winnowed by selection imposed during social intersong structure. Other aspects are sufficiently stereoactions at the time of adult song crystallization. Selectyped and so widely shared by species' members that tion during production is well established as a factor they qualify as species-specific universals. The limitain the song development of several species, in the form tions on natural song variation are difficult to reconof action-based learning. The possible role of selective cile with a fully open, instructive model of song learnprocesses in song memorization meritsfurther ing. An alternative model based on memorization by neurobiological investigation.