How learning affects vocalizations is a key question in the study of animal communication
and human language. Parallel efforts in birds and humans have taught us much about how …

Research on avian vocalisations has traditionally focused on male song produced by oscine
passerines. However, accumulating evidence indicates that complex vocalisations can …

Songbirds are important models for understanding the mechanisms and fitness
consequences of imitative vocal learning. Although the effects of early-life environmental …

Kin selection theory suggests that altruistic behaviors can increase the fitness of altruists
when recipients are genetic relatives. Although selection can favor the ability of organisms to …

There is a strong disconnect between humans and other species in our societies. Zoos
particularly expose this disconnect by displaying the asymmetry between visitors in search …

Interacting with relatives provides opportunities for fitness benefits via kin-selected
cooperation, but also creates potential costs through kin competition and inbreeding …

Cues to individuality, and the corresponding capacity for individual-level discrimination, can
allow individually specific investment by conspecifics into offspring, partners, neighbors or …

Understanding when learning begins is critical for identifying the factors that shape both the
developmental course and the function of information acquisition. Until recently, sufficient …

Growing research on the function of female birdsong now allows for identification of large-
scale patterns emerging in the published literature. We conducted a review that analysed …

Early environmental enrichment improves postnatal cognition in animals and humans. Here,
we examined the effects of the prenatal acoustic environment (parental song rate) on …