白腰文鸟发声行为的性别差异及其机制

The Mechanism of Sexual Difference of Vocalization in Lonchura striata swinhoei

通过声谱分析 ,研究了 5～ 12 0日龄雌、雄白腰文鸟 (Lonchurastriataswinhoei)的声谱变化 ,及该时段 3个主要发声控制核团 (HVC、RA、AreaX)体积、睾丸 (睾酮 )的相应改变。结果如下 :① 45日龄以前 ,雌雄鸟只能发出简单鸣叫 (call) ,鸣叫声间无性别差异。 45日龄后 ,雄鸟开始学习鸣唱 (song) ,至 12 0日龄基本学会成年鸟的鸣唱语句。雌鸟基本不会鸣唱。②雄性HVC ,RA ,AreaX体积均比雌性大 2～ 6倍。 3个核团的大小发育不完全一致 ,各核团的快速生长期与鸣唱学习的主要时段 (6 0～ 12 0日龄 )不同步 ,说明核团的个体发育可能不完全受发声行为的影响。③睾丸的充分发育 (12 0日龄后 )

To further understand the mechanism of sexual difference of vocalization and the relation among the vocal behavior,vocal control nuclei and testosterone level in the serum,sound spectrogram,volume of three vocal control nuclei (HVC high vocal control center,RA robutus archistriatalis nucleus and Area X),weight of testis and testosterone levels in the serum were investigated in the songbird ( Lonchura striata swinhoei ) from post hatching 5 days to 120 days.The results were as follows:① Both the male and female produced several kinds of calls before post hatch 45 days and there was no sexual difference among these calls between the male and female.Male birds began to sing only after post hatching 45 days.However,they could not sing the same complex and stable songs as the adult males until post hatch 120 days.Female birds could not produce any song as the male. ② HVC,RA and Area X in the female were 6,4,and 2 times less than the volumes of the corresponding nuclei in the male,respectively. HVC,RA and Area X developed in different ways.Their rapid increasing period was not parallel to the time when the male birds learned singing,indicating that the development of the vocal control nuclei was not completely subjected to the vocal behavior. ③ Only the testis developed very well or the testosterone in the serum reached adequately high level,male birds could produce quite complex and stable songs,suggesting that testosterone level in the serum could be one of the important factors in the mature song production.