Human language and small bird songs are acquired by imitating the vocal patterns of other individuals such as parents, and this is called vocal learning.It is known that vocal learning has a period in which learning progresses efficiently, that is, a critical period for learning.

　The zebra finch, a kind of small bird that learns songs, has a critical period of learning about 30 to 90 days after hatching, and completes its own song by repeating vocal practice hundreds of times a day during these two months. ..The completed song will be maintained for the rest of its life and the ability to learn vocalization will be lost, but it is known whether the end of the critical period of learning is simply determined by the number of days since birth or is controlled by the accumulation of vocal practice behaviors. I didn't.

　This time, the research group conducted an experiment to inhibit the vocal practice of the zebra finch during the critical learning period.As a result, birds that interfered with vocal practice can learn vocalization even after the end of the critical period of learning, and the critical period of vocal learning of the zebra finch is controlled not by age but by the number of vocal exercises. I understood.

　Next, when we investigated what kind of molecular mechanism controls the change in learning ability due to vocalization experience in the brain, it was read only during vocal practice in the brain, and it became difficult to read due to the accumulation of practice. I found a group of genes.This indicates that vocal practice behavior may control the critical period of learning through the regulation of gene recall.

　In the future, the research group plans to further research how practice behavior changes the way genes are read and affects learning efficiency.

Paper information:[PLoS Biology] Vocal practice regulates singing activity–dependent genes underlying age-independent vocal learning in songbirds