Home > Events > LSLT: Adam Fishbein (NACS)

LSLT: Adam Fishbein (NACS)

Time: 
Thursday, February 28, 2019 - 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
Location: 
Language Science Center (2130 H.J. Patterson)

 

Adam Fishbein (NACS)

Messages in the details: What do birds listen to in their songs?

Abstract: The melodic patterns of birdsong stand out to human listeners, but the birds may be listening to a different tune. Here I present the notion that some birds listen more to the fine acoustic details in song syllables than the sequential patterns of those elements. I focus on the zebra finch, a songbird that is the most popular avian model for human language, and present recent behavioral and neurophysiological findings showing sensitivity to the acoustic details of vocal signals that goes beyond human hearing and relative insensitivity to sequence. These results highlight apparent architectural differences between avian and human vocal communication systems.