Finches have been associated with evolution since the time of Darwin. In a new development researchers have successfully decoded the compete genetic make up of the zebra finch commonly known as the "little Aussie battler" (Taeniopygia guttata). This bird was chosen for research because of its ability to learn complex songs from its father. Initially the chick makes seemingly random sounds which are akin to the babble of human babies before they learn to speak. Soon the fledglings start to copy their father’s song. Once the family song is learned, he will sing it for the rest of his life, passing it on to his male offspring.
This report has identified more than 800 genes that play a role in the baby boy chicks' ability to learn songs from its father. The report in Nature is touted to be a new way in revelation of evolutionary process of vocal learning in animals, including humans. This will also help in understanding genetics of speech disorders, related to autism, stuttering and Parkinson's disease.
The international research team was led by Dr Wesley Warren from the Washington University in St Louis, US. He said, “The zebra finch is a beautiful model for vocal learning," Dr Warren said. Previous research has shown that certain genes in the brains of zebra finches were activated when the male birds heard a familiar song.
"We looked for the position of these genes in the bird's genome, and then looked for the [equivalent] genes in the chicken genome," he explained.
The only other bird with its genetic sequence completely known is the common chicken. Comparing the two genetic sequences gives an insight into genes related to vocalization and song learning.
The research according to Dr. Warren started with the knowledge of what the genes of the birds’ common ancestor would be like. Dr Warren said, "Then we looked for genes that had changed faster in the zebra finch than we would have expected…This shows that there was a [natural] selection pressure on those genes." This whole process unraveled the steps that changed the genetic sequence so that the zebra finches could sing.
Dr Richard Wilson, director of Washington University's Genome Center and another senior researcher involved in the study said: "Now we can look deep into the genome, not just at the genes involved in vocal learning, but at the complex ways in which they are regulated…There are layers and layers of complexity that we're just beginning to see. This information provides clues to how vocal learning occurs at the most basic molecular level in birds and in people."
Dr Carlos Botero, a specialist in animal communication from Duke University in the US said that this research is a step that will take us "a little bit closer to understanding the links between genes and behavior." He said, "These results should be appealing not only to those interested in the evolution of song or communication but also to anyone who has ever wondered how the tiny little molecules in our genes can ultimately influence what we are and what we are able to do."
Zebra finch expert Dr Simon Griffith of Macquarie University in Sydney says this bird is one of its kind to work upon. "It is one of the easiest birds in the world to work on in captivity," he says. "Australian wildlife is leading the world in genome decoding terms…We've had the kangaroo, the platypus and now the zebra finch."
In the horizon is the sequencing of the parrot genome that is to be completed by the Washington University scientists in this project later this year.
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