A Model of Songbird Song Syntax using Bayesian Nonparametrics

ORAL

Abstract

Bird songs are learned sequences of syllables governed by specific rules of arrangement, or syntax. How is syntax encoded in the bird's brain? How is it accessed to produce variability in the vocalizations? These questions are pertinent not only to birdsong, but also to other kinds of learned sequence generation in animals - motor movements, for example. As a first step in addressing these questions, we can construct a probabilistic model of the song syntax. An earlier study has shown that the song syntax of a Bengalese Finch can be described by a Partially Observable Markov Model (POMM), in which a many-to-one mapping scheme between the syllables and associated hidden states was invoked. However, the construction of this model was largely heuristic. We use a nonparametric Bayesian formulation, the Hierarchical Dirichlet Process - Hidden Markov Model, to develop a more principled method of constructing the POMM for birdsong. Importantly, the use of a nonparametric Bayesian inference technique allows us to automatically estimate the optimal number of hidden states in the model. We also make a case for a correspondence between the abstract states in our model and chain networks of neurons in the avian brain region called the HVC.

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Authors

  • Sumithra Surendralal

    Pennsylvania State Univ

  • Eva Andrei

    National Center for Biotechnology Information, NIH, Pennsylvania State Univ, Department of Physics, Temple University, CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Science, Department of Physics, Boise State University, National Synchrotron Light Source, Brookhaven National Laboratory, York Univ, Erciyes Univ, Chinese Academy of Sciences Hefei, Pennsylvania State Univ and USTC, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, MIT, Harvard, Penn State University, Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania State University, Penn State, Department of Physics, Penn State University, University Park, USA, National Institute for Material Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Japan, Carnegie Mellon University, IPICYT, Mexico, Shinshu University, Japan, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil, Tsinghua University, China, American Physical Society, Appalachian State University, West Chester Univ, Lehigh University, Drew University, University of Balearics Islands, Roanoke College, NIST, Tulane Univ, Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ, Zhejiang Univ, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Physics, The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Electrical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, the Pennsylvania State University, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, International Center for Quantum Materials, Peking University, Villanova University, West Virginia University, Institut Lumiere Matiere, PSU, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Towson Univ, CINVESTAV-Queretaro, Prince George Community College, Howard University, Towson University, The Pennsylvania State University, Hokkaido Univ, Cinvestav-Unidad Queretaro, Queretaro-76230, Mexico, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Osaka University, Penn State Univ, Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, ILM Universit\'{e} Lyon 1, Moravian College, Bloomsburg Univ, Universit\"at Bielefeld, Syracuse University, Alabama A\&M University, Indiana University of PA, University of Denver, IUP, University of Nebraska, University of Science and Technology of China, Seoul National University, Soochow University China, US Army Research Laboratory, Drexel University, University of Stuttgart, Youngstown State University, University of Surrey, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, Department of Mathematics, West Virginia University, University of Delaware, Physics Department, The Pennsylvania State University, 104 Davey Lab, University Park, PA, 16802, USA, Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University, McMaster University, University of Toronto, The University of Texas at Austin, Army Research Lab, Adelphi MD, University of Connecticut, Notre Dame, University of Maryland, Department of Physics and Center for 2-Dimensional and Layered Materials, The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rutgers University