Birds and babies: Ontogeny of vocal learning.

This article examines the similarities between birds and human babies in terms of their vocal learning abilities. It challenges the traditional view that both species learn in two distinct phases and suggests that the timelines for vocal learning need revision. The article also explores the role of social experience and interaction in vocal learning, finding that brain areas involved in attention and sensorimotor processing are more active during social interaction. This neural activity predicts language development in children. The article emphasizes the importance of comparing the neurobiology of communicative learning in babies and birds. [Extracted from the article]