Altered perception of species-specific song by female birds after lesions of a forebrain nucleus

Female birds that do not normally sing possess brain nuclei associated with song production in males. To determine whether one song nucleus, the caudal nucleus of the ventral hyperstriatum (HVc), acts in conspecific song perception, courtship responses of female canaries to canary and white-crowned sparrow songs were compared before and after HVc lesions. Bilateral lesions of a portion of the HVc resulted in copulation solicitations to heterospecific song as well as conspecific song. Control females continued to respond only to conspecific song. This suggests that the HVc is critical for conspecific song perception in females. Because female canaries do not normally sing, neurons in female HVc must develop response selectivity by a mechanism different from that proposed for male birds in the motor theory of song perception.     

Hormone-induced sexual differentiation of brain and behavior in zebra finches

The male zebra finch sings, whereas the female does not. This behavioral dimorphism is correlated with the presence of morphological sex differences within the neural substrate that mediates this behavior, the song system. When a female chick is exposed to 17beta-estradiol her song system is subsequently masculinized. Either testosterone or 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone may then induce such a female to sing when an adult.     

A test for responsiveness to song structure and programming in female sparrows

Female song sparrows, primed with implants of estradiol, gave the solicitation display for copulation in response to acoustic stimulation with song. This technique demonstrated that female song sparrows respond more strongly to conspecific song than to alien songs, that they discriminate on the basis of both overall temporal pattern and syllabic structure, that they respond more to several song types than to repetitions of one song, and that they are most responsive to several song types if the songs are organized in bouts of a single type, as they are normally delivered by a male song sparrow. These results demonstrate a substantial correspondence between the structure and programming of the singing behavior of male birds and female responsiveness to song.     

Neural mechanisms for the coordination of duet singing in wrens

Plain-tailed wrens (Pheugopedius euophrys) cooperate to produce a duet song in which males and females rapidly alternate singing syllables. We examined how sensory information from each wren is used to coordinate singing between individuals for the production of this cooperative behavior. Previous findings in nonduetting songbird species suggest that premotor circuits should encode each bird's own contribution to the duet. In contrast, we find that both male and female wrens encode the combined cooperative output of the pair of birds. Further, behavior and neurophysiology show that both sexes coordinate the timing of their singing based on feedback from the partner and suggest that females may lead the duet.     

Genetic control of song specificity in crickets

The calling song of male field crickets is composed of stereotyped rhythmic pulse intervals, which are predictable expressions of genotype. Females identify conspecific males by their song. Two species of crickets were found to exhibit species-specific song preference, and hybrids between them preferred hybrid calls over either parental call. These results imply genetic control of song reception as well as transmission.     

Interspecific genetic control of courtship song production and reception in Drosophila

The genetic control of courtship song differences between Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila simulans males was investigated by producing hybrids from reciprocal crosses. The song rhythm difference between the parental species appears to be due to sex-linked genes, whereas the basic interpulse-interval difference is autosomally inherited. Hybrid females show selective preferences for artificially generated songs carrying intermediate "hybrid" characteristics.     

Prenatal alcohol exposure alters adult expression of sexually dimorphic behavior in the rat

Saccharin preference and performance in a Lashley III maze were found to be altered in adult male and female rats that had been exposed to alcohol during gestation. Specifically, the sexual dimorphism normally observed in both behaviors was absent in fetal alcohol-exposed animals. The lack of sexual dimorphism appeared to result from a masculinization of the exposed females and a feminization of the exposed males.     

Mosquitoes: female monogamy induced by male accessory gland substance

Male accessory glands were implanted in virgin females of Aedes aegypti. When exposed to males, females copulated readily but were not inseminated; they remained sterile for life. Extract from one male could sterilize more than 64 females. The active principle may be a protein or peptide. Intraspecific transplant prevented insemination in 12 species, including Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex; interspecific transplant gave partial protection.     

Recognition of H-2 types in relation to the blocking of pregnancy in mice

Inbred BALB/c females were mated and subsequently exposed in a divided cage to "stimulus" males or females whose H-2 type was similar or dissimilar to the stud male's. The incidence of pregnancy blocking was considerably higher when stud and stimulus males differed in H-2 type than when they did not. Similar results were obtained with urine samples of H-2 identical and nonidentical males. Females exposed after mating to other females whose H-2 type differed from the stud male, under the same experimental conditions, also showed an appreciable incidence of pregnancy block. It is therefore concluded that chemosensory recognition of H-2 types affects the reproductive hormonal status of the pregnant female.     

Sexual difference in pattern of hormone accumulation in the brain of a songbird

After adult zebra finches (Poephila guttata) received injections of tritiated testosterone, fewer hormone-concentrating cells were found in females than in males in two brain regions involved in song: hyperstriatum ventrale pars caudale and magnocellular nucleus of the anterior neostriatum. In some other regions, no sexual difference was detected. It is, therefore, possible that sex differences in the sensitivity of specific neural populations to hormones underlie the striking anatomical dimorphism observed in neural regions controlling song.     

Sparrows learn adult song and more from memory

Male swamp sparrows reared in the laboratory and exposed to taped songs during infancy produce accurate imitations of the material following an 8-month interval with no rehearsal. When the first rehearsal occurs, at about 300 days of age, large numbers of syllables are perfected. They are developed through invention and improvisation as well as imitation. Most are discarded at the time of song crystallization. Hence, these songbirds learn more than they manifest in full adult song.     

Phonotaxis of crickets in flight: attraction of male and female crickets to male calling songs

Large numbers of two species of mole crickets flew to loudspeakers playing the appropriate calling song outdoors. Mated females were more frequently captured than unmated ones, and males were 12 percent of the catch. Crickets of three other subfamilies were trapped as they flew to mole cricket songs resembling their own.     

烟蚜茧蜂的交配行为研究

[目的]明确烟蚜茧蜂的交配行为,探讨雌蜂传递的线索对引发雄蜂交配行为的作用,为烟蚜茧蜂的规模化繁殖和应用提供理论基础.[方法]在室内显微镜下和温室繁蜂棚内直接观察烟蚜茧蜂的交配行为,设死亡处女雌蜂(n=19)、碾碎的雌蜂腹部(n=15)、接触过处女雌蜂的滤纸(n=15)、仅提供雌蜂视觉线索(n=20)和空白对照(n=20)5个不同的试验处理,观察雌蜂传递的嗅觉和视觉线索对引发雄蜂求偶行为的作用.[结果]雄蜂交配行为包括接近、求偶、爬背、敲打触角、交配试探、插入、交配、分离,处女雌蜂交配行为包括逃跑和拒绝交配或接受交配、交配、休息.雄蜂与处女雌蜂的交配过程可划分为搜寻和求偶、交配前期、交配和交配后期4个阶段,且试图交配的雄蜂求偶成功后一般能够与处女雌蜂完成整个交配过程.雄蜂会试图与交配过的雌蜂、死亡的雌蜂发生交配行为,但仅出现交配前期.接触过活体处女雌蜂的滤纸和压碎的雌蜂腹部能够引发雄蜂强烈的振翅反应,而密闭在透明容器中的处女雌蜂不能引发雄蜂的振翅反应.[结论]烟蚜茧蜂的交配行为由—系列固定行为组成,雌蜂传递的嗅觉线索是引发雄蜂求偶行为发生的关键因素,雌蜂腹部是短程雌性性信息素产生的来源.     

切割潜蝇茧蜂触角感器超微结构及触角电位反应

在扫描电镜下观察了切割潜蝇茧蜂的触角感器,并测定了触角对其寄主植物主要挥发物的电生理反应(EAG).结果表明:切割潜蝇茧蜂雌成虫触角有毛形感器、板状感器、腔锥形感器、蒲姆氏鬃等4种,雄虫除了有以上4种外,还有腔形感器;雄虫的腔锥形感器比雌虫多.切割潜蝇茧蜂交配前的雌雄虫对反-2-癸烯醛和香橙烯的EAG反应最强烈;交配后雌雄虫触角最高EAG反应值均由里那醇引发.雌虫的里那醇在交配前后差异显著,其余化合物差异不显著;雄虫的里那醇和α-法呢烯在交配前后差异显著,其余化合物差异不显著.     

Gender disparity in liver cancer due to sex differences in MyD88-dependent IL-6 production

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common liver cancer, occurs mainly in men. Similar gender disparity is seen in mice given a chemical carcinogen, diethylnitrosamine (DEN). DEN administration caused greater increases in serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentration in males than it did in females. Furthermore, ablation of IL-6 abolished the gender differences in hepatocarcinogenesis in mice. DEN exposure promoted production of IL-6 in Kupffer cells (KCs) in a manner dependent on the Toll-like receptor adaptor protein MyD88, ablation of which also protected male mice from DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. Estrogen inhibited secretion of IL-6 from KCs exposed to necrotic hepatocytes and reduced circulating concentrations of IL-6 in DEN-treated male mice. We propose that estrogen-mediated inhibition of IL-6 production by KCs reduces liver cancer risk in females, and these findings may be used to prevent HCC in males.     

Multimodal signals: enhancement and constraint of song motor patterns by visual display

Many birds perform visual signals during their learned songs, but little is known about the interrelationship between visual and vocal displays. We show here that male brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) synchronize the most elaborate wing movements of their display with atypically long silent periods in their song, potentially avoiding adverse biomechanical effects on sound production. Furthermore, expiratory effort for song is significantly reduced when cowbirds perform their wing display. These results show a close integration between vocal and visual displays and suggest that constraints and synergistic interactions between the motor patterns of multimodal signals influence the evolution of birdsong.     

Vocal imitation and individual recognition of finch calls

American goldfinch females recognize individual males by their individually distinctive flight calls. Goldfinches and other cardueline finch species are also capable of learning new flight calls by imitation during pair and flock formation. Vocal imitation can occur between members of different species as well as between members of the same species. Learning of new flight calls differs in several respects from typical passerine song learning.     

Sexual role reversal in mate-finding strategies of the cabbage looper moth

The mate-finding behavior of the cabbage looper moth Trichoplusia ni (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) includes both female- and male-produced sex pheromones used in distinct mate-finding strategies. Both sexes release multicomponent pheromones attractive to the opposite sex. Male pheromone is comprised of d-linalool, m-cresol, and p-cresol released from abdominal hair pencils. Males exposed to host plant odor or to the female sex pheromone (Z)-7-dodecen-1-ol acetate are more attractive to females, suggesting stimulation of male pheromone release.     

White-Crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys nuttalli) to Song

The pattern of responses of both male and female white-crowned sparrows to playback of recorded song depends on whether the female has eggs, nestlings, or fledglings, and on the behavior under consideration. These patterns can be understood in the context of the behavior patterns appropriate during each of the different stages of the reproductive cycle.     

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

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.