Auditory responses in avian vocal motor neurons: a motor theory for song perception in birds.

نویسندگان

  • H Williams
  • F Nottebohm
چکیده

The hypoglossal motor neurons that innervate the vocal organ (syrinx) of the male zebra finch show a selective, long-latency (50-millisecond) response to sound. This response is eliminated by lesions to forebrain song-control nuclei. Different song syllables elicit a response from different syringeal motor neurons. Conspecific vocalizations may therefore be perceived as members of a set of vocal gestures and thus distinct from other environmental sounds. This hypothesis is an avian parallel to the motor theory of speech perception in humans.

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عنوان ژورنال:
  • Science

دوره 229 4710  شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 1985