How Did Birds Evolve the Capacity to Vocalize?

ce96d6ec18264df50e8995c293607688 Harvard Medical School

The Tabin Laboratory studies the genetic basis by which form and structure are regulated, both during embryonic development to produce the exquisite morphology of the vertebrate embryo and over evolutionary time to generate the extraordinary and beautiful diversity of animal forms on this planet. In our developmental studies we combine classical methods of experimental embryology with modern molecular, imaging, genetic and genomic techniques for interrogating and testing gene function. In our evolutionary work we have addressed question of morphological, behavioral and metabolic evolution in a variety of species using both developmental and genetic approaches.

{"start": "2022-02-23T20:00:00", "end": "2022-02-23T21:00:00"} tabin@genetics.med.harvard.edu

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Tabin, Cliff, Ph.D. George Jacob and Jacqueline Hazel Leder Professor of Genetics Chair, Department of Genetics

Birds "sing" using a unique vocal organ called the syrinx. It is an example of the evolution of a novel structure. We have explored the genetic pathways underlying the embryonic formation of the syrinx to understand its morphogenesis and to understand how this adaptation arose.

https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=44216 https://tabin.hms.harvard.edu