Evolution of vocal production learning in parrots

Vocal production learning (VPL), the capacity to imitate sounds, is a crucial, but not exclusive component of human language. VPL is rare in animals but common in birds, where it evolved independently in songbirds, hummingbirds, and parrots. Parrots (Psittaciformes) learn new vocalizations throughout their lives and exhibit astonishing vocal flexibility and imitation capacity. They can copy allospecific sounds, e.g., human words and learn their associated meanings. Parrots, therefore, present an intriguing model to shed light on how VPL evolved and how it may relate to other language-relevant traits. How widely VPL is distributed across Psittaciformes and to what extent (qualitative) species differences exist, remains unknown. Here, we provide the first comprehensive overview of the phylogenetic distribution of (allospecific) VPL in this clade by conducting surveys of publicly available video footage. Out of the 398 currently recognized extant species, we found videos for 163, of which 136 showed evidence of VPL. Phylogenetic analyses suggest secondary losses and reacquisitions of VPL covarying with socioecological parameters (gregariousness), life-history (longevity), and morphological (body size) traits. This study provides the first insights into interspecific variation in vocal learning across all parrot species and reveals potential socio-ecological drivers of its evolution. Significance Little is known about the selective forces that favor the evolution of vocal production learning (VPL), a rare trait in animals and a prerequisite for the evolution of human language. We provide the first insights into interspecific variation in VPL in the evolutionary history of parrots and uncover candidate evolutionary drivers. The current data suggest that the evolution of VPL within parrots has been highly dynamic, with multiple secondary losses and reacquisitions. Our model showed that VPL most likely was the ancestral state. Sociality, longevity and body size explain variation in VPL together with a highly uncertain effect of brain size. The findings may motivate comparative work in other taxa and contribute to research into the evolutionary origins of human language.