By analysing the brain cells of songbirds like these zebra finches, researchers have determined that the basal ganglia – an area of the brain involved motor control and learning – introduces changes to song patterns in order to help birds learn by trial and error. (Credit: Sarah Woolley)
When male songbirds sing to a female, they are note-perfect, but when they are singing by themselves, there are mistakes. By analysing the activity of brain cells, scientists have determined that this random error is actually generated in parts of the brain called the basal ganglia. They suggest that the behaviour is designed to help birds learn to perform better by overcoming mistakes. Understanding these neural circuits could help in determining what goes wrong in human conditions like Parkinson’s disease.
Original research paper published in the journal Neurons on April 2, 2014.
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