Neuronal basis of duet singing in plain-tailed wrens

A study examines how male and female plain-tailed wrens coordinate with each other to sing duets. Cooperation and turn-taking, such as during duet singing, are widely observed animal behaviors, but how the brain uses sensory cues to synchronize the performance of participating individuals is unclear. Melissa J. Coleman, Eric S. Fortune, and colleagues measured sensorimotor activity in the HVC, a brain region implicated in song control, of four pairs of plain-tailed wrens (Pheugopedius euophrys) as the birds sang solo syllables and duet songs. Plain-tailed wrens sing duets in which males and females rapidly take turns singing at a rate of 2 to 5 Hz. The authors captured the wrens at a field site in Ecuador, implanted wire electrodes in the birds’ HVCs, and simultaneously recorded neurophysiological activity in the female and male of each pair while they sang. In both sexes, HVC neurons increased activity during the production of their own syllables in a duet. Conversely, HVC activity decreased when the bird’s partner was singing, suggesting that rapid turn-taking is partially mediated by inhibition of premotor activity in this brain region. According to the authors, the findings suggest that sensory feedback links the wrens’ brains during a duet performance by inhibiting motor circuits.

Article #2020-18188: “Neurophysiological coordination of duet singing,” by Melissa J. Coleman, Nancy F. Day, Pamela Rivera-Parra, and Eric S. Fortune.

MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa J. Coleman, Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges, Claremont, CA; tel: 909-532-1490; email:

[email protected]

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