HAUBER, ME; THEUNISSEN, FE; University of Auckland; University of California, Berkeley: Neural bases of species discrimination in female songbirds

Acoustic perception learning by both females and males is widespread among songbirds, including many species in which only males sing. Previous work from our laboratory demonstrated response selectivity for conspecific song over synthetic stimuli in auditory forebrain neurons of male Zebra Finches. To parallel this work in females, we recorded the responses of female auditory forebrain (Field L) neurons to familiar and unfamiliar conspecific song, heterospecific song, and synthetic sounds with matched power spectra. We tested the following hypotheses using spike rate analyses: i) selectivity for natural over artificial sounds, ii) selectivity for conspecific over heterospecific songs, and iii) selectivity for familiar over unfamiliar songs. Using d� measures of spike rates we found statistical support for (i) and (ii), but not (iii). These patterns of auditory selectivity in female and male Field L neurons correspond well with behavioral studies suggesting that song recognition is similar between sexes. Supported by NIH grants DC050087, MH059189, MH66990 and the Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science.