Neural FoxP2 expression in an aging open-ended vocal learner

Most vocal learning species exhibit an early critical period during which their vocal control neural circuity can facilitate the acquisition of new vocalizations. Some taxa, most notably humans and parrots, retain this neurobehavioral plasticity throughout adulthood. Downregulation of the transcription factor FoxP2 in both songbird and parrot vocal control nuclei has been identified as a key expression pattern facilitating vocal learning. We hypothesize that open-ended vocal learning is vulnerable to cognitive decline, and that this deterioration will be reflected in age-related changes in neural FoxP2 expression. We tested this hypothesis in the budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus), a small gregarious parrot in which adults converge on shared call types in response to shifts in group membership. We formed novel flocks of 4 previously unfamiliar males belonging to the same age class, either “young adult” (6 mo-1 yr) or “older adult” (≥ 3 yr), and then collected audio-recordings over a 2..., , , # Neural FoxP2 expression in an aging open-ended vocal learner

Most vocal learning species exhibit an early critical period during which their vocal control neural circuity can facilitate the acquisition of new vocalizations. Some taxa, most notably humans and parrots, retain this neurobehavioral plasticity throughout adulthood. Downregulation of the transcription factor FoxP2 in both songbird and parrot vocal control nuclei has been identified as a key expression pattern facilitating vocal learning. We hypothesize that open-ended vocal learning is vulnerable to cognitive decline and that this deterioration will be reflected in age-related changes in neural FoxP2 expression. We tested this hypothesis in the budgerigar (*Melopsittacus undulatus*), a small gregarious parrot in which adults converge on shared call types in response to shifts in group membership. We formed novel flocks of 4 previously unfamiliar males belonging to the same age class, either young adult (6 mo-1 yr) or older...