Trial-to-trial variability in the execution of movements and motor skills is ubiquitous and
widely considered to be the unwanted consequence of a noisy nervous system. However …

Experience exerts a profound influence on the brain and, therefore, on behavior. When the
effect of experience on the brain is particularly strong during a limited period in …

Motor cortex is widely believed to underlie the acquisition and execution of motor skills, but
its contributions to these processes are not fully understood. One reason is that studies on …

▪ Abstract Human speech and birdsong have numerous parallels. Both humans and
songbirds learn their complex vocalizations early in life, exhibiting a strong dependence on …

Gull chicks beg for food from their parents. Peacocks spread their tails to attract potential
mates. Meerkats alert family members of the approach of predators. But are these--and other …

We believe that names have a powerful influence on the experiments we do and the way in
which we think. For this reason, and in the light of new evidence about the function and …

Vocal imitation in human infants and in some orders of birds relies on auditory-guided motor
learning during a sensitive period of development. It proceeds from'babbling'(in humans) …

A male zebra finch learns a song by listening to a tutor, but song learning is normally
restricted to a critical period in juvenile development. Here we identify an RNA whose …

The fruit, which mediates the maturation and dispersal of seeds, is a complex structure
unique to flowering plants. Seed dispersal in plants such as Arabidopsis occurs by a …

Bird fanciers have known for centuries that songbirds learn their songs. This learning has
striking parallels to speech acquisition: like humans, birds must hear the sounds of adults …