Felix W. Moll

• PhD
• Group Leader at University of Tübingen

Crows are corvid songbirds that exhibit remarkable cognitive control, including their ability to vocalize on command. The activity of single neurons from the crow's associative telencephalic structure nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL) is correlated with the execution of this vocal and many non‐vocal behaviors. However, whether anatomical connections...

Crows are corvid songbirds that exhibit remarkable cognitive control over their actions, including their vocalizations. They can learn to vocalize on command and the activity of single neurons from the crow's associative telencephalic structure nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL) is correlated with the execution of this vocal and many non-vocal skilled...

The avian telencephalic structure nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL) functions as an analog to the mammalian prefrontal cortex. In crows, corvid songbirds, it plays a crucial role in higher cognitive and executive functions. These functions rely on the NCL's extensive telencephalic connections. However, systematic investigations into the brain-wide co...

While motor cortical circuits contain information related to specific movement parameters¹, long-range inputs also have a critical role in action execution2,3. Thalamic projections can shape premotor activity2–6 and have been suggested⁷ to mediate the selection of short, stereotyped actions comprising more complex behaviours⁸. However, the mechanis...

Neural circuits often exhibit sequences of activity, but the contribution of local networks to their generation remains unclear. In the zebra finch, song-related premotor sequences within HVC may result from some combination of local connectivity and long-range thalamic inputs from nucleus uvaeformis (Uva). Because lesions to either structure aboli...

Sequential activation of neurons has been observed during various behavioral and cognitive processes, but the underlying circuit mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate premotor sequences in HVC (proper name) of the adult zebra finch forebrain that are central to the performance of the temporally precise courtship song. We use hig...

Sequential activation of neurons has been observed during various behavioral and cognitive processes and is thought to play a critical role in their generation. Here, we studied a circuit in the songbird forebrain that drives the performance of adult courtship song. In this region, known as HVC, neurons are sequentially active with millisecond prec...

Single neuron activity in the corvid nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL), the supposed avian functional analog of the prefrontal cortex, represents associations of auditory with visual stimuli. This is of high adaptive value for songbirds that need to rely on audio-visual associations to communicate, find a mate or escape predators. However, it remains...

The ability to associate stimuli across time and sensory modalities endows animals and humans with many of the complex, learned behaviors. For successful performance, associations need to be retrieved from long-term memory and maintained active in working memory [1]. We investigated how this is accomplished in the avian brain. We trained carrion cr...