Multiple frequency range discrimination in songbirds, (Taeniopygia guttata, Zonotrichia albicollis), nonsongbirds (Melopsittacus undulatus) and humans (Homo sapiens).

摘要

I taught zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), white-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis), budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) and humans (Homo sapiens) a go/no go discrimination among 40 tones, beginning at 980 Hz and spaced 120 Hz apart. The tones were correlated with reward in a multiple frequency range discrimination among 8 frequency ranges, 4 S;In the first study, I sought to determine whether male and female zebra finches and humans could learn a multiple frequency range discrimination. Male zebra finches acquired the discrimination quickly and with great accuracy, whereas humans did not discriminate the multiple alternation of S;In a second study, I sought to determine whether songbird species differ in their ability to sort tones into multiple frequency ranges and whether rapid acquisition and high accuracy at classifying tones into multiple frequency ranges was exclusive to songbirds. Female zebra finches acquired the discrimination more quickly than female white-throated sparrows and with about the same accuracy. Male zebra finches acquired the discrimination more quickly and with slightly higher accuracy than male budgerigars.;In both studies, zebra finches, white-throated sparrows and budgerigars transferred the discrimination from trained to untrained tones in each frequency range. The results suggest that songbirds and at least one nonsongbird can use perceptual information about several frequency ranges to recognize conspecifics whereas humans lack the necessary perceptual ability to learn a multiple frequency range discrimination.