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- Title
Seasonal changes in the song control nuclei of the Rufous‐bellied Thrush, Turdus rufiventris (Oscine, Passeriformes, and Turdidae).
- Authors
Lorena, Jamily; Olson, Christopher R.; Fontana, Carla S.; Mello, Claudio V.; Schneider, Maria Paula C.; Schneider, Patricia N.
- Abstract
In vocal learning birds, memorization and song production rely on a set of telencephalic nuclei referred to as the song control system. Seasonal changes in song production are correlated with changes in the volume of the song control nuclei and are influenced by photoperiodic conditions and hormonal cues. The seasonal volume changes in the avian brain that controls singing are thought to involve regulation of neuronal replacement, which is a striking example of neuronal plasticity. The Rufous‐bellied Thrush (Turdus rufiventris) is a seasonally breeding bird that actively sings during the spring and summer (breeding season) and is relatively silent in the fall, yet possible mechanisms behind the periodic changes in song production remain unknown. Here, we have examined two song control nuclei: High vocal center (HVC) and robust nucleus of arcopallium (RA) in fall males, spring males, and fall females of Rufous‐bellied Thrush. The cytoarchitectonic organization was analyzed and quantified from Nissl‐stained sections, and gene expression of song nuclei markers was examined by in situ hybridization during breeding and nonbreeding seasons. We observed a reduction in HVC volume and reductions in parvalbumin, and RGS4 expression in HVC and RA in males during the nonbreeding season. These findings provide evidence of seasonal changes in the song system of a representative tropical‐breeding Turdidae species that does not maintain territories or mate bonding, setting the histological and molecular groundwork for future studies aimed at better understanding of song nuclei changes in seasonally breeding songbirds. Research Highlight: Vocal learning is an attribute present in three orders of birds (hummingbirds, parrots, and songbirds), cetaceans, and humans. In songbirds, vocal learning and song production depend on a set of specialized brain nuclei known as the song system. The ability to learn and produce song serves as a basis for the acquisition of spoken language in humans. In vocal learning birds, the memorization and production of song share many important parallels with the process of speech acquisition in humans. In this paper, we report for the first time the neuroanatomical changes of the seasonal tropical bird, Turdus rufiventris. We show seasonal changes in the HVC song nucleus of the male during breeding and nonbreeding periods. Gene expression analysis showed a reduction of song nuclei markers during the nonbreeding season. Our data support the hypothesis that the song nucleus HVC undergoes morphological and molecular changes during breeding seasons and this accompanies changes in gene expression. Finally, we show that female T. rufiventris have a reduced song nuclei system similar to nonbreeding male. This paper should be of broad interest to readers in the area of evo‐devo because it contributes to the understanding of the seasonal changes in vocalization in tropical birds.
- Subjects
BIRDSONGS; BIRD breeding; PASSERIFORMES; THRUSHES; IN situ hybridization; BIRD vocalizations; ORAL communication
- Publication
Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B: Molecular & Developmental Evolution, 2019, Vol 332, Issue 3/4, p92
- ISSN
1552-5007
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1002/jez.b.22853