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Measurement of grey parrot ( Psittacus erithacus ) trachea via magnetic resonance imaging, dissection, and electron beam computed tomography
Author(s) -
Pepperberg Irene M.,
Howell Kirk S.,
Banta Pamela A.,
Patterson Dianne K.,
Meister Melissa
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of morphology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.652
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1097-4687
pISSN - 0362-2525
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4687(199810)238:1<81::aid-jmor7>3.0.co;2-q
Subject(s) - magnetic resonance imaging , biology , computed tomography , dissection (medical) , anatomy , beam (structure) , tomography , nuclear magnetic resonance , physics , radiology , optics , medicine
To produce a model to explain the acoustic properties of human speech sounds produced by Grey parrots ( Psittacus erithacus ) and to compare these properties across species (e.g., with humans, other psittacine and nonpsittacine mimics), researchers need adequate measurements of the chambers that constitute the parrot vocal tract. Various methods can provide such data. Here we compare results for tracheal measurements provided by a) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of a live bird, b) caliper measurements of four preserved specimens, and c) electron beam computed tomography (EBCT) of three of these preserved specimens. We find that EBCT scans provide data that correspond to the inner area of the dissected trachea, whereas MRI results correspond to area measurements that include tracheal ring thickness. We briefly discuss how these data may predict formant values for Grey parrot reproduction of human vowels. Our results suggest how noninvasive techniques can be used for cross‐species comparisons, including the coevolution of structure and function in avian mimicry. J. Morphol. 238: 81–91, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.