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Vocal coordination and vocal imitation: A role for mirror neurons?1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 April 2014

John D. Newman*
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Comparative Ethology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Poolesville, MD 20837. jn1g@nih.gov

Abstract

Some birds and mammals have vocal communication systems in which coordination between individuals is important. Examples would include duetting or antiphonal calling in some birds and mammals, rapid exchanges of the same vocalization, and vocal exchanges between paired individuals and other nearby pairs. Mirror neurons may play a role in such systems but become functional only after experience.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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Footnotes

1.

© John D. Newman 2014. This is a work of the U.S. Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States.

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