Neural Mechanisms of Alarm Calling Behavior

Not only humans but also animals use alarm calls to warn conspecifics about danger. The value of these signals for increasing the chance of survival in the receiver is without controversary. While the function, development and evolution of alarm calls have extensively been studied, the proximate mechanisms relating to how the brain controls alarm call production or the reactions to alarm calls are unknown.

We study the neural basis of alarm calling with a unique and completely natural approach. We equip groups of wild songbirds with light-weight, wireless devices and record the birds’ neural activity in parallel to their individual vocal activity while they emit, listen and react to alarm calls in their natural habitat. We probe brain regions belonging to three different neural circuits: the vocal control system, the hearing system and the fear system. The new knowledge we produce will help us to understand the computations the brain has to perform when we warn others or when we get warned. Furthermore, we will elucidate how different neural circuits naturally work together to flexibly adjust fear reactions to the threat level signaled by alarm calls.

This project is done in collaboration with Prof. Manfred Gahr (Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Germany), Prof. Kate Buchanan (Deakin University, Australia) and Dr. Cornelia Vogt (University of Pretoria, South Africa).