Variation in song structure does not predict associative learning performance in zebra finches (Taeniopygia castanotis) raised under controlled cultural conditions
Sébastien Derégnaucourt, Lucille Le Maguer, Nicole Geberzahn · 2026
Read Variation in song structure does not predict associative learning performance in zebra finches (Taeniopygia castanotis) raised under controlled cultural conditions by Sébastien Derégnaucourt, Lucille Le Maguer, Nicole Geberzahn (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/PMC13529891.txt.
Description
Sébastien Derégnaucourt and co-authors ask in 2026 whether differences in song structure predict learning ability in zebra finches. Birds came from a colony where males had all learned the same model song, which held cultural background steady. The team built a combined score from song length, syllable counts, and closeness to that model.
Each bird then worked through a foraging task with training, first learning, and a reversal stage where the reward rule changed. Song scores failed to predict success in any stage. The finding fits wider bird work suggesting song quality and general learning skill vary independently.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Sébastien Derégnaucourt, Lucille Le Maguer, Nicole Geberzahn |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 60004 |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |