the-BA : From chick chat to baby babble – how the study of bird song is providing insights into human language development

For immediate release
Friday 14 September 2007

Dr Karen Spencer of the University of Glasgow will present a captivating insight into bird song and how it relates to the ‘developmental pathway’ humans follow when learning how to speak. She explores how this ‘vocal learning’ evolved, and the benefits of using another species to discover the processes behind the way humans learn to communicate with each other.

Dr Spencer says: ‘Human babies follow a very similar pattern to chicks when learning how to speak. They share an initial sensitive period for the memorisation phase followed by a series of vocal stages. The baby equivalent of this would be the explosion of babbling from gurgles.’

Dr Spencer is interested in the process of imitation whereby the song bird learns to listen to the parent’s sounds and memorise them until the fledgling eventually develops their own adult call. The example of babies’ babbling demonstrates the similar pathway that babies follow when learning to speak. Recent developments in this field also suggest that social interaction with the adult of the species can vastly affect the rate of learning in the infant.

There may also be a genetic link between vocal learners. ‘One gene known to be involved in human speech have also been found in songbirds which exhibit patterns of expression identical to those seen in humans. These exciting results also give us a new route by which to investigate the origins of vocal learning,’ says Dr Spencer.

The study of birdsong is not only interesting because it may offer insights into how speech impediments such as stuttering develop in early childhood but also as a communication tool in its own right. While there is no evidence to suggest that birdsong forms a ‘language’ in the sense that its point is to convey meaning, it has a vital evolutionary role.

Dr Spencer explains: ‘The females use specific rules to determine how sexy a male may be by listening to his song. Since singing can be costly to a male in terms of time or energy it follows that a male who sings more often may be a better mate as he is in better condition and can sing for longer.’

However, recent evidence has suggested that the detail of a male's song may also allow females to determine a potential mate’s quality, by giving away how well he learned his song during the critical periods of memorisation and production. The ability to produce a good song through vocal learning is therefore vitally important to male songbirds in obtaining a mate and producing the next generation.

‘This is perhaps another reason why so many scientists continue to study this fascinating phenomenon.’

Dr Karen Spencer will give her talk ‘The evolution of chick chat: how the study of bird song can help us understand the origins of human speech’ on 14 September at Physics PX/001, University of York as part of the BA Festival of Science.

The opportunity to present a popular and prestigious BA Award lecture at the festival of science is offered to five outstanding communicators each year. The award lectures aims to promote open and informed discussions in issues involving science and actively encourage young scientists to explore the social aspects of their research, providing them with reward and recognition for doing so.

The BA Festival of Science will be in York from 9-15 September, bringing over 350 of the UK’s top scientists and engineers to discuss the latest developments in science with the public. In addition to talks and debates at the University of York, there will be a host of events throughout the city.

For further information about the BA Festival of Science, including an online programme, visit www.the-ba.net/festivalofscience.

This year’s BA Festival of Science is organised by the BA (British Association for the Advancement of Science) in partnership with the University of York, Science City York and the City of York Council. It is supported by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, BP and Yorkshire Forward.

ENDS

For further information please contact:
Lisa Hendry, Press Officer, the BA
Tel: 020 7019 4946
Email: lisa.hendry@the-ba.net

Or

Jessica Griggs, Press Assistant, the BA
Tel: 020 7019 4947
Email: jessica.griggs@the-ba.net

Note for editors

1. The BA (British Association for the Advancement of Science) is the UK's nationwide, open membership organisation that exists to advance the public understanding, accessibility and accountability of the sciences and engineering. Established in 1831, the BA organises major initiatives across the UK, including National Science and Engineering Week, the annual BA Festival of Science, programmes of regional and local events, and an extensive programme for young people in schools and colleges. The BA also organises specific activities for the science communication community in the UK through its Science in Society programme. For more information about the BA, please visit www.the-ba.net.

2. Speakers have been asked to submit press papers for their talks, which include a summary of the talk and what is newsworthy about their research. Press papers will be available from late-August at www.the-ba.net/presspapers.

3. To register for access to the press papers or to the Press Centre at the BA Festival of Science, visit www.the-ba.net/pressregister.

4. The BA Festival of Science 2007 is being hosted in York by the University of York, Science City York and the City of York Council.

5. The University of York, founded in 1963, has nearly 12,000 students, 3,000 staff and more than 30 academic departments and research centres. It is one of Britain’s leading research-intensive universities, with a global reputation. The University concentrates on strong viable departments and teaching and research of the highest quality. It is rated sixth out of 172 UK higher education institutions for the quality of its research, with 18 of its 23 departments rated 5 or 5*. Ambitious plans for growth include a projected 50 per cent increase in student numbers, and significant research expansion and spin-out activity. For more information, visit www.york.ac.uk.

6. Science City York is a successful business and skills development initiative, driving the creation and growth of business and employment opportunities across York and North Yorkshire in bioscience, IT & digital and creative technologies. Established in 1998 as a partnership between City of York Council and The University of York, Science City York is supported by Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency for Yorkshire and the Humber. Further information available from www.sciencecityyork.org.uk.

7. City of York Council serves over 180,000 residents, covering an area of 236km2 and providing a wide range of services. The council works with 70 schools across the city to provide high quality education to over 24,000 pupils. The authority employs over 7,000 staff and is York's largest employer. More information about the council and its services is available at www.york.gov.uk.

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