SON LEARNING AND IMPRINTING:AN INQUIRY INTO MECHANISMS OF BEHAVIOURAL DEVELOPMENT

Información del proyecto

Identificador del acuerdo de subvención: SC1*0012

Proyecto cerrado

Fecha de inicio 1 Enero 1989

Fecha de finalización 31 Diciembre 1991

Financiado con arreglo a

• Programme plan (EEC) to stimulate the international cooperation and interchange needed by European research scientists (SCIENCE), 1988-1992

Coste total

Sin datos

Aportación de la UE

Sin datos

Coordinado por

NETHERLANDS RESEARCH SCHOOL FOR ASTRONOMY - LEGALLY REPRESENTED BY UNIVERSITY OF GRONINGEN
Netherlands

Objetivo

A number of experiments were carried out of the sensitive period for song learning in the zebra finch and factors affecting this period. Results indicate that adult males may alter their songs, but that usually this does not involve restructuring, but rather smaller adjustments, leading to a better match of a male's song with that of its companions. Thus a limited amount of flexibility is maintained into adulthood. Sensitive periods are not caused by one unitary mechanism but involve a number of subprocesses.
To examine which factors in the social interactions between pupil and tutor effect song learning and sexual imprinting, experiments were carried out in which the correlation between the type of interactions and the likelihood of copying the tutor's song was studied.
Studies have also been conducted on how acquired information is used by the birds to construct their internal representations of songs and preferences, as well as on the mutual interactions between song learning and imprinting.
These studies have identified characteristics of behavioural development which may apply to developmental processes other than those studied.
Studies on the development of social and sexual preference
(imprinting) as well as studies on song learning in birds have contributed a great deal to understanding behaviuoral development in animals and humans. The aim of this grant proposal is to enable a cooperative research project on a comparison of these processes by studying them in what has shown to be an excellent model species: the zebra finch. Combining the expertise which yhe two research groups have, a number of experiments are proposed. The study of these will greatly improve knowledge about imprinting and song learning as individual processes; about their interaction, and about the fundamental processes underlying the development of behaviour in general.

Ámbito científico (EuroSciVoc)

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Programa(s)

• FP2-SCIENCE - Programme plan (EEC) to stimulate the international cooperation and interchange needed by European research scientists (SCIENCE), 1988-1992

Tema(s)

Datos no disponibles

Convocatoria de propuestas

Datos no disponibles

Régimen de financiación

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinador

NETHERLANDS RESEARCH SCHOOL FOR ASTRONOMY - LEGALLY REPRESENTED BY UNIVERSITY OF GRONINGEN

• Aportación de la UE: Sin datos
• Dirección: 5,Broerstraat 5 ; 9712 CP GRONINGEN ; Países Bajos
• Coste total: Sin datos

Participantes (1)

UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS

Reino Unido

• Aportación de la UE: Sin datos
• Dirección: College Gate, 66 North Street ; KY16 9AH ST ANDREWS
• Coste total: Sin datos