James L. Goodson

Ph.D., Cornell University (Psychology), 1998
Postdoctoral Fellow, Cornell University (Neurobiology & Behavior), 1998-2000

Research Interests

Our research focuses on a network of brain regions that regulate basic social behaviors in all vertebrates – behaviors such as courtship, mating, aggression and parenting. The brain's “social behavior network” includes several areas of the basal forebrain, including the medial extended amygdala, lateral septum, and various divisions of the preoptic area and hypothalamus. Part of our work on these areas is designed to elucidate their functional and anatomical properties in non-mammalian species, with a goal of identifying evolutionarily conserved circuits that are fundamental to behavioral regulation in all species. Layered onto these evolutionary “themes,” we seek to identify “variations” that accompany the evolutionary diversification of social behavior, both within and between species. That is, we try to figure out how basic neurobehavioral properties get tweeked (evolutionarily) to achieve highly specific endpoints in behavioral phenotype. We work mostly in songbirds, but have also conducted studies in teleost fish. These groups exhibit greater social diversity than other vertebrates, allowing us to ask questions that are not tractable in other taxa. We are currently exploring how brain circuits and motivational processes differ between bird species that differ in sociality, as defined by their species-typical group sizes (i.e., the species are territorial, modestly gregarious, or highly gregarious). Importantly, much of our work has shown that social behavior circuits of the basal forebrain are structurally and functionally similar across all vertebrate classes. This suggests that our work in birds and fish should be informative for a broad range of species, including mammals. We work in both the field and in the lab, and employ a variety of behavioral and anatomical techniques.

For an overview of the social behavior network, see Goodson (2005, Horm. Behav.). Our most recent work on sociality can be found in Goodson and Wang (2006, PNAS) ; to view the press release for this article, click here).

Publications

Goodson J.L. and Wang, Y.A. (2006). Valence-sensitive neurons exhibit divergent functional profiles in gregarious and asocial species. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 103: 17013-17017.

Bharati, I.S. and Goodson, J.L. (2006). Fos responses of dopamine neurons to sociosexual stimuli in male zebra finches. Neuroscience, 143: 641-670.

Goodson J.L., Evans A.K., and Wang, Y. (2006). Neuropeptide binding reflects convergent and divergent evolution in species-typical group sizes. Hormones and Behavior, 50: 223-236.

Goodson J.L., Evans A.K., and Soma, K.K. (2005). Neural responses to aggressive challenge correlate with behavior in nonbreeding sparrows. Neuroreport, 16: 1719-1723.

Goodson J.L., Saldanha, C.J., Hahn, T.P., and Soma, K.K. (2005). Recent advances in behavioral neuroendocrinology: Insights from studies on birds. Hormones and Behavior, 48: 461-473.

Goodson J.L. (2005). The vertebrate social behavior network: Evolutionary themes and variations (Frank Beach Award paper; cover article). Hormones and Behavior, 48: 11-22.

Goodson J.L., Evans A.K., Lindberg L., Allen, C.D. (2005). Neuro-evolutionary patterning of sociality. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B, 272: 227-235.

Goodson J.L., Evans A.K. (2004). Neural responses to territorial challenge and non-social stress in male song sparrows: Segregation, integration and modulation by a vasopressin V 1 antagonist . Hormones and Behavior, 46: 371-381.

Goodson J.L., Evans A.K., Lindberg L. (2004). Chemoarchitectonic subdivisions of the songbird septum and a comparative overview of septum chemical anatomy in jawed vertebrates. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 473: 293-314 (cover article).

Goodson J.L., Lindberg,L., Johnson, P. (2004). Effects of central vasotocin and mesotocin manipulations on social behavior in male and female zebra finches. Hormones and Behavior, 45: 136-143.

Goodson, J.L., Evans, A.K., and Bass, A.H. (2003). Putative isotocin distributions in batrachoidid fish: Relationship to vasotocin and vocal-acoustic circuitry. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 462: 1-14 (cover article).

Goodson, J.L. and Bass, A.H. (2002). Vocal-acoustic circuitry and descending vocal pathways in teleost fish: Convergence with terrestrial vertebrates reveals conserved traits. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 448: 298-322.

Goodson, J.L. and Bass, A.H. (2001). Social behavior functions and related anatomical characteristics of vasotocin/vasopressin systems in vertebrates. Brain Research Reviews, 35: 246-265 (cover article).

Goodson, J.L. and Bass, A.H. (2000). Vasotocin innervation and modulation of vocal-acoustic circuitry in the teleost, Porichthys notatus . Journal of Comparative Neurology, 422: 363-379.

Goodson, J.L. and Bass, A.H. (2000). Rhythmic midbrain-evoked vocalization is inhibited by vasoactive intestinal polypeptide in the teleost Porichthys notatus . Brain Research, 865: 107-111.

Goodson, J.L. and Bass, A.H. (2000). Forebrain peptides modulate sexually polymorphic vocal circuitry. Nature, 403 (6771): 769-72.

Goodson, J.L., Eibach, R., Sakata, J., and Adkins-Regan, E. (1999). Effect of septal lesions on male song and aggression in the colonial zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) and the territorial field sparrow (Spizella pusilla). Behavioural Brain Research, 98: 167-180.

Goodson, J.L. and Adkins-Regan, E. (1999). Effect of intraseptal vasotocin and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide infusions on courtship song and aggression in the male zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 11: 19-25 (cover article).

Thompson, R.R., Goodson, J.L., Ruscio, M.G., and Adkins-Regan, E. (1998). Role of the archistriatal nucleus taeniae in the sexual behavior of male Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica): A comparison of function with the medial nucleus of the amygdala in mammals. Brain, Behavior and Evolution, 51: 215-229.

Goodson, J.L. (1998). Vasotocin and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide modulate aggression in a territorial songbird, the violet-eared waxbill (Estrildidae: Uraeginthus granatina). General and Comparative Endocrinology, 111: 233-244 (cover article).

Goodson, J.L. (1998). Territorial aggression and dawn song are modulated by septal vasotocin and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide in male field sparrows (Spizella pusilla). Hormones and Behavior, 34: 67-77.

Goodson, J.L., Eibach, R., Dukes, A., Friedman, M., Sakata, J., Thompson, R., and Adkins-Regan, E. (1997). The neurobiology of avian social organization: Effects of lateral septum lesions in a territorial songbird, the field sparrow (Spizella pusilla), and a colonial songbird, the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 807: 518-521.

Goodson, J.L. and Adkins-Regan, E. (1997). Playback of crows of male Japanese quail elicits female phonotaxis. Condor, 99: 990-993.