A simple explanation for the evolution of complex song syntax in Bengalese finches

Kentaro Katahira, Kenta Suzuki, Hiroko Kagawa, Kazuo Okanoya

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21 Scopus citations

Abstract

The songs of Bengalese finches (Lonchura striata var. domestica) have complex syntax and provide an opportunity to investigate how complex sequential behaviour emerges via the evolutionary process. In this study, we suggest that a simple mechanism, i.e. many-to-one mapping from internal states onto syllables, may underlie the emergence of apparent complex syllable sequences that have higher order history dependencies.We analysedthe songs ofBengalese finches and of their wild ancestor, the white-rumped munia (L. striata), whose songs are more stereotypical and simpler compared with those of Bengalese finches. The many-to-one mapping mechanism sufficiently accounted for the differences in the complexity of song syllable sequences of these two strains.

Original languageEnglish
Article number20130842
JournalBiology Letters
Volume9
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 23 Dec 2013
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Bengalese finch
  • Many-to-one mapping
  • Partially observable Markov model
  • Song syntax
  • White-rumped munia

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