<p>The ability of young children to vocally imitate the speech of adults is critical for speech learning. Vocal imitation requires exposure to an external auditory model and the use of auditory feedback to adaptively modify vocal output to match the model. Despite the importance of vocal imitation to human communication and social behavior, it remains unclear how these two types of sensory experience, model exposure and feedback, act on sensorimotor networks controlling the learning and production of learned vocalizations. Using a combination of longitudinal in vivo imaging of neuronal structure and electrophysiological measurements of neuronal function, I addressed the questions of where, when, and how these two types of sensory experience act on sensorimotor neurons important to singing and song learning in zebra finches. The major finding of these experiments is that synaptic inputs onto neurons in HVC, a sensorimotor nucleus important to singing and song learning, are sensitive to tutor song experience and deafening. Thus, these findings for the first time link auditory experiences important to vocal imitation to synaptic reorganization in sensorimotor neurons important to behavior.</p> / Dissertation

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 108-110). / x, 110 leaves, bound ill. (some col.) 29 cm

The kea is the only parrot species in the world to include the true alpine environment as part of their habitat. Survival in these harsh alpine conditions has been hypothesised to be the cause of the generalist behaviour of kea, leading to their heightened explorative behaviour and curiosity. Kea are also widely regarded as being extraordinarily intelligent. It is their intelligence that suggests that kea may possess a sophisticated communication system. I conducted a study exploring the potentially complex vocal repertoire of the kea. My study was conducted with wild population of banded juvenile and fledgling kea in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park between February 2003 and April 2004. I obtained 449 vocalisations from 16 identified and several unidentified kea. The results of this study confirmed that the vocal repertoire of the kea is exceptionally large for a parrot species, encompassing over 17 vocalisations. This study revealed five vocalisations previously undescribed in the kea repertoire and showed for the first time that vocal repertoire of immature kea may be different to the repertoire of adult kea. Two possible gender specific vocalisations were also revealed. The study of apparent vocal responses revealed that kea appear to be able to identify vocalisation types and respond accordingly using combinations of increasingly complex vocalisations. This is also the first study to take advantage of the similarity between human and parrot vocal systems for the kea, by utilizing powerful human speech analysis software. The results of this analysis allowed the identification of subtle differences in kea vocalisations, including the presence of graded signals, not identifiable by use of spectrogram analysis.

Thesis (M.A.)--Western Conservative Baptist Seminary, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 24-28).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Department of Music, August 2001. / For mezzo-soprano and baritone with chamber orchestra. Text excerpted from Under the maud moon (from The book of nightmares) by Galway Kinnell. Includes performance notes. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 94-102).

Thesis (S.T.M.)--Yale Divinity School, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references.

D.M.A. final project--Department of Music, Stanford University, 1997.

Thesis (M. Communication Pathology)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Summary in English and Afrikaans. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University. / Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Harry R. Wilson. Dissertation Committee: Arthur T. Jersild, Gladys Tipton. Bibliography: leaves 62-64.