A novel statistical method for behaviour sequence analysis and its application to birdsong.

ABSTRACT: Complex vocal signals, such as birdsong, contain acoustic elements that differ in both order and duration. These elements may convey socially relevant meaning, both independently and through their interactions, yet statistical methods that combine order and duration data to extract meaning have not, to our knowledge, been fully developed. Here we design novel semi-Markov methods, Bayesian estimation and classification trees to extract order and duration information from behavioural sequences and apply these methods to songs produced by male European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, in two social contexts in which the function of song differs: a spring (breeding) and autumn (nonbreeding) context. Additionally, previous data indicate that damage to the medial preoptic nucleus (POM), a bra

SUBMITTER: Alger SJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5033053 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature