For example, humans and European Starlings ( Sturnus vulgaris) have similar frequency sensitivity thresholds and auditory filter widths ( 15– 17), perceive the pitch of the missing fundamental ( 18), and parse multiple pure-tone sequences (separated in frequency) into separate auditory streams ( 19, 20). Many aspects of auditory processing are also similar in songbirds and humans. Likewise, songbirds and humans share evolutionarily convergent features of their vocal production biomechanics ( 11, 12) and of brain circuitry that underlies the rare trait of vocal learning ( 13, 14). Although birds lack the six-layered mammalian neocortex ( 5), the avian auditory system follows the general vertebrate plan ( 6), including telencephalic circuits organized in a radial columnar pattern that are anatomically ( 7, 8), genetically ( 9), and functionally ( 10) analogous to the mammalian auditory cortical microcircuit. Songbirds are an important animal model for studying the sensorimotor mechanisms of vocal learning and the processing of learned, complex sound sequences ( 1– 4). These results challenge conventional views regarding the use of pitch cues in nonhuman auditory sequence recognition. Instead we show that melody recognition can generalize even in the absence of pitch, as long as the spectral shapes of the constituent tones are preserved. We find that small manipulations altering either pitch or timbre independently can drive melody recognition to chance, suggesting that both percepts are poor descriptors of the perceptual cues used by birds for this task. Here, we investigate melody recognition in a species of songbird, the European Starling ( Sturnus vulgaris), using tone sequences that vary in both pitch and timbre. This work relies almost exclusively on acoustically simple stimuli that may belie sensitivities to more complex spectral features. Decades of research have led to the widespread belief that songbirds, unlike humans, are strongly biased to use absolute pitch (AP) in melody recognition. Surprisingly, songbirds seem to lack this capacity, although they can learn to recognize human melodies and use complex acoustic sequences for communication. However this particular wine is 100% Merlot and seems all the better for it.Humans easily recognize “transposed” musical melodies shifted up or down in log frequency. Wines from this side of the Gironde estuary are usually Merlot based (whilst the ‘Left Bank’ favours Cabernet Sauvignon) with a little Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon added to the blend. In fact, it wasn’t long ago that one used to quip that ‘good value Bordeaux’ was an oxymoron, well not any more.įronsac sits on the ‘Right Bank’ of Bordeaux. Has someone been putting something in their tea down in Bordeaux? It may produce wines considered the greatest by many, it’s not usually the first port of call for excellent everyday drinking red. This has the structure and finesse of a wine that has a long life ahead of it and offers exceptional value – not only for Bordeaux but against any competition.Īlthough this is lovely to tuck in to now, it’s just going to get better so squirrel a couple away if you can. The ripeness and vibrancy of the black fruit is tantalising but not overpowering as more complex flavours of roasted coffee and a touch of earthiness. Ripe, pure and pronounced, this superb claret wastes no time in laying its cards on the table. A lot of Bordeaux at this price point can sometime ‘overdo’ the oak whereas this offers a lovely purity of fruit rarely found in claret at this price. Just 15% is aged in barrel for three years and I think it is this that gives the wine its distinction. It is sourced from 35 year old vines and fermented in concrete vats. Has someone been putting something in their tea down in Bordeaux? Although famed for its top quality premium reds it wasn’t long ago that one used to quip that ‘good value Bordeaux’ was an oxymoron, well not any more.
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