鸣禽的鸣唱与人类语言相似，是一种经过后天学习的习得性发声行为。雄性鸣禽发展出专门的神经通路参与发声行为，其中皮质-基底神经核环路在发声行为的学习和可塑性中发挥关键作用，在皮质-基底神经核环路中的基底神经核纹状体区域终身加入新的神经元，尤其是专门参与发声行为的 X 区（Area X），目前对于成体鸣禽纹状体 X 区新生神经元的功能以及产生机制仍然不清楚。斑胸草雀（Taeniopygia guttata）是一种具有明显鸣唱行为性双态性的鸣禽，表现为雄性斑胸草雀善于鸣唱而雌性斑胸草雀不善于鸣唱。而斑胸草雀的纹状体 X 区只控制着该鸣禽的鸣唱这一外显行为，这种结构与行为的单一关联的模式使得斑胸草雀可以作为研究纹状体神经发生以及纹状体神经发生与行为差异关系的理想动物。本项目旨在通过比较雌雄成体斑胸草雀神经源性增殖热点区域（hot spots）心室下区（SVZ）的新生神经元的数量以及迁移至纹状体的新生神经元数量、类型差异，探讨成体神经发生与鸣唱行为差异的关系，为揭示纹状体 X 区神经发生的功能和机制提供线索。
  此次研究发现，在鸣禽斑胸草雀的神经源性热点区域的有大量的被标记新生神经元细胞产生，但没有呈现出雌雄差异；在雌雄成体斑胸草雀的纹状体中有新生神经元的迁移进入，并且在数量上呈现出一定的雌雄差异。由此初步推断鸣禽斑胸草雀的鸣唱行为性双态性与与神经源性区域的细胞增殖分化无相关性，与神经元的迁移可能具有相关性。但此次研究受制于样本量过小，实验周期过短，后续还需要大量的研究去比较雌雄成年斑胸草雀草雀纹状体的新生神经元数量、类型，以及基因转录的差异，进而揭示纹状体神经发生与这种鸣唱性双态性的相关性。

  Songbird song is similar to human speech, which is a learned vocal behavior. Male songbirds developed specialized neural pathways involved in vocal behavior, including cortex - basal nuclei loop in vocal behavior play a key role in learning and plasticity, in the cortex-basal nuclei loop basal nuclei in the striatum region lifetime to join the new neurons, especially specialized in vocal behavior Area X, At present, the function and generation mechanism of new neurons in striatum X region of adult songbirds are still unclear. The zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) is a kind of songbird with distinct song behavior and dimorphism, which is characterized by the male is good at singing and the female is not good at singing. However, the striatum X region of the zebra finch only controls the explicit singing behavior of the songbird. his single correlation between structure and behavior makes the finch an ideal animal for studying striatum neurogenesis and the relationship between striatum neurogenesis and behavioral differences. This project aims to through comparing the male and female adult zebra finch neurogenic proliferation hotspots (hot spots) ventricular zone (VZ) the number of newborn neurons and the number of newborn neurons migrate to the striatum, the difference of types, discusses the relationship between adult neurogenesis and singing behavior to reveal the striatum X clues area function and mechanism of neurogenesis.
  In this study, we found that a large number of new neurons were produced in the neurogenic hot spots of songbird zebra finches, but there was no difference between males and females. New neurons migrate into the striatum of adult zebra finches, and there is a certain difference in the number of new neurons between male and female. Therefore, it is preliminarily concluded that the behavioral dimorphism of songbird zebra finch is not related to the cell proliferation and differentiation in the neurogenic region, but is related to the migration of neurons. However, this study was limited by the small sample size and short experimental period, and a large number of subsequent studies are needed to compare the number and type of new neurons in the striatum of male and female adult zebra finches, as well as the differences in gene transcription, so as to reveal the correlation between striatal neurogenesis and this singing dimorphism.