Cross fostering experiments suggest that mice songs are innate.
BACKGROUND: Vocal learning is a central functional constituent of human speech, and recent studies showing that adult male mice emit ultrasonic sound sequences characterized as "songs" have suggested that the ultrasonic courtship sounds of mice provide a mammalian model of vocal learning....
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2011-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3052373?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818130089863282688 |
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| author | Takefumi Kikusui Kaori Nakanishi Ryoko Nakagawa Miho Nagasawa Kazutaka Mogi Kazuo Okanoya |
| author_facet | Takefumi Kikusui Kaori Nakanishi Ryoko Nakagawa Miho Nagasawa Kazutaka Mogi Kazuo Okanoya |
| author_sort | Takefumi Kikusui |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BACKGROUND: Vocal learning is a central functional constituent of human speech, and recent studies showing that adult male mice emit ultrasonic sound sequences characterized as "songs" have suggested that the ultrasonic courtship sounds of mice provide a mammalian model of vocal learning. OBJECTIVES: We tested whether mouse songs are learned, by examining the relative role of rearing environment in a cross-fostering experiment. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We found that C57BL/6 and BALB/c males emit a clearly different pattern of songs with different frequency and syllable compositions; C57BL/6 males showed a higher peak frequency of syllables, shorter intervals between syllables, and more upward frequency modulations with jumps, whereas BALB/c males produced more "chevron" and "harmonics" syllables. To establish the degree of environmental influences in mouse song development, sons of these two strains were cross-fostered to another strain of parents. Songs were recorded when these cross-fostered pups were fully developed and their songs were compared with those of male mice reared by the genetic parents. The cross-fostered animals sang songs with acoustic characteristics--including syllable interval, peak frequency, and modulation patterns--similar to those of their genetic parents. In addition their song elements retained sequential characteristics similar to those of their genetic parents' songs. CONCLUSION: These results do not support the hypothesis that mouse "song" is learned; we found no evidence for vocal learning of any sort under the conditions of this experiment. Our observation that the strain-specific character of the song profile persisted even after changing the developmental auditory environment suggests that the structure of these courtship sound sequences is under strong genetic control. Thus, the usefulness of mouse "song" as a model of mammalian vocal learning is limited, but mouse song has the potential to be an indispensable model to study genetic mechanisms for vocal patterning and behavioral sequences. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T07:59:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-624e5a6e3da04751afbc532a13fb564e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T07:59:30Z |
| publishDate | 2011-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-624e5a6e3da04751afbc532a13fb564e2022-12-22T01:15:09ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032011-01-0163e1772110.1371/journal.pone.0017721Cross fostering experiments suggest that mice songs are innate.Takefumi KikusuiKaori NakanishiRyoko NakagawaMiho NagasawaKazutaka MogiKazuo OkanoyaBACKGROUND: Vocal learning is a central functional constituent of human speech, and recent studies showing that adult male mice emit ultrasonic sound sequences characterized as "songs" have suggested that the ultrasonic courtship sounds of mice provide a mammalian model of vocal learning. OBJECTIVES: We tested whether mouse songs are learned, by examining the relative role of rearing environment in a cross-fostering experiment. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We found that C57BL/6 and BALB/c males emit a clearly different pattern of songs with different frequency and syllable compositions; C57BL/6 males showed a higher peak frequency of syllables, shorter intervals between syllables, and more upward frequency modulations with jumps, whereas BALB/c males produced more "chevron" and "harmonics" syllables. To establish the degree of environmental influences in mouse song development, sons of these two strains were cross-fostered to another strain of parents. Songs were recorded when these cross-fostered pups were fully developed and their songs were compared with those of male mice reared by the genetic parents. The cross-fostered animals sang songs with acoustic characteristics--including syllable interval, peak frequency, and modulation patterns--similar to those of their genetic parents. In addition their song elements retained sequential characteristics similar to those of their genetic parents' songs. CONCLUSION: These results do not support the hypothesis that mouse "song" is learned; we found no evidence for vocal learning of any sort under the conditions of this experiment. Our observation that the strain-specific character of the song profile persisted even after changing the developmental auditory environment suggests that the structure of these courtship sound sequences is under strong genetic control. Thus, the usefulness of mouse "song" as a model of mammalian vocal learning is limited, but mouse song has the potential to be an indispensable model to study genetic mechanisms for vocal patterning and behavioral sequences.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3052373?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Takefumi Kikusui Kaori Nakanishi Ryoko Nakagawa Miho Nagasawa Kazutaka Mogi Kazuo Okanoya Cross fostering experiments suggest that mice songs are innate. PLoS ONE |
| title | Cross fostering experiments suggest that mice songs are innate. |
| title_full | Cross fostering experiments suggest that mice songs are innate. |
| title_fullStr | Cross fostering experiments suggest that mice songs are innate. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cross fostering experiments suggest that mice songs are innate. |
| title_short | Cross fostering experiments suggest that mice songs are innate. |
| title_sort | cross fostering experiments suggest that mice songs are innate |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3052373?pdf=render |
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