Estrogen stimulates the incorporation of new neurons into avian song nuclei during adolescence.

In zebra finches the song control nuclei hyperstriatum ventralis pars caudalis (HVc) and area X of the lobus parolfactorius (LPO), continue to add new neurons during the juvenile period of song learning. Normally, males add many more of these new cells than do females (who do not sing), leading to pronounced sexual dimorphism within these regions. Exposing females to estradiol (E2) shortly after hatching masculinizes the HVc and area X and such females sing in response to later androgen stimulation. We investigated whether exposing female hatchlings to E2 stimulates the incorporation of HVc and area X neurons born during the juvenile period, and whether later androgen stimulation further influences addition of these late-generated neurons. Females were implanted with E2 on day 3 and received either empty or dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-filled capsules on day 25. These females, and normal males and females received [3H]thymidine daily between 20 and 40 days and were killed at 65 days. Autoradiographic analyses of HVc and area X-LPO revealed that neuron number, as well as the incidence and number of thymidine-labeled neurons was increased in E2-treated females to levels approaching those typical of males. DHT did not further influence these measures in females. These data indicate that E2 promotes either the production, migration, or survival of HVc and area X neurons born during the juvenile period.