Trigger for bird songs discovered

Scientists from the Roslin Institute, Edinburgh and Nagoya University in Japan have identified the trigger for bird songs prior to mating. They have unravelled how part of a bird's brain is affected by seasons. They have discovered that genes in cells on the surface of the brain were switched on when the birds received more light. Pituitary gland releases a hormone in the spring in readiness for mating. This is fantastic research output unthinkable till a few years back. Researchers used a genome chip, known as a microarray, to scan 28,000 genes from the Japanese quail to arrive at the fascinating findings. As science advances, the peek in to the mysteries of nature is becoming increasingly easier.