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Reichert MS, Luttbeg B, Hobson EA. Collective signalling is shaped by feedbacks between signaller variation, receiver perception and acoustic environment in a simulated communication network. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230186. [PMID: 38768210 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Communication takes place within a network of multiple signallers and receivers. Social network analysis provides tools to quantify how an individual's social positioning affects group dynamics and the subsequent biological consequences. However, network analysis is rarely applied to animal communication, likely due to the logistical difficulties of monitoring natural communication networks. We generated a simulated communication network to investigate how variation in individual communication behaviours generates network effects, and how this communication network's structure feeds back to affect future signalling interactions. We simulated competitive acoustic signalling interactions among chorusing individuals and varied several parameters related to communication and chorus size to examine their effects on calling output and social connections. Larger choruses had higher noise levels, and this reduced network density and altered the relationships between individual traits and communication network position. Hearing sensitivity interacted with chorus size to affect both individuals' positions in the network and the acoustic output of the chorus. Physical proximity to competitors influenced signalling, but a distinctive communication network structure emerged when signal active space was limited. Our model raises novel predictions about communication networks that could be tested experimentally and identifies aspects of information processing in complex environments that remain to be investigated. This article is part of the theme issue 'The power of sound: unravelling how acoustic communication shapes group dynamics'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Reichert
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University , Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Barney Luttbeg
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University , Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Hobson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati , Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
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2
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Guo Y, Zhu Y, Shen S, Lu N, Zhang J, Chen X, Chen Z. Cloning, characterization, and evolutionary patterns of KCNQ4 genes in anurans. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11311. [PMID: 38654715 PMCID: PMC11036133 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Acoustic communication plays important roles in the survival and reproduction of anurans. The perception and discrimination of conspecific sound signals of anurans were always affected by masking background noise. Previous studies suggested that some frogs evolved the high-frequency hearing to minimize the low-frequency noise. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the high-frequency hearing in anurans have not been well explored. Here, we cloned and obtained the coding regions of a high-frequency hearing-related gene (KCNQ4) from 11 representative anuran species and compared them with orthologous sequences from other four anurans. The sequence characteristics and evolutionary analyses suggested the highly conservation of the KCNQ4 gene in anurans, which supported their functional importance. Branch-specific analysis showed that KCNQ4 genes were under different evolutionary forces in anurans and most anuran lineages showed a generally strong purifying selection. Intriguingly, one significantly positively selected site was identified in the anuran KCNQ4 gene based on FEL model. Positive selection was also found along the common ancestor of Ranidae and Rhacophoridae as well as the ancestral O. tianmuii based on the branch-site analysis, and the positively selected sites identified were involved in or near the N-terminal ion transport and the potassium ion channel functional domain of the KCNQ4 genes. The present study revealed valuable information regarding the KCNQ4 genes in anurans and provided some new insights for the underpinnings of the high-frequency hearing in frogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Guo
- The Observation and Research Field Station of Taihang Mountain Forest Ecosystems of Henan Province, College of Life SciencesHenan Normal UniversityXinxiangChina
| | - Yanjun Zhu
- The Observation and Research Field Station of Taihang Mountain Forest Ecosystems of Henan Province, College of Life SciencesHenan Normal UniversityXinxiangChina
| | - Shiyuan Shen
- The Observation and Research Field Station of Taihang Mountain Forest Ecosystems of Henan Province, College of Life SciencesHenan Normal UniversityXinxiangChina
| | - Ningning Lu
- The Observation and Research Field Station of Taihang Mountain Forest Ecosystems of Henan Province, College of Life SciencesHenan Normal UniversityXinxiangChina
| | - Jie Zhang
- College of FisheriesHenan Normal UniversityXinxiangChina
| | - Xiaohong Chen
- The Observation and Research Field Station of Taihang Mountain Forest Ecosystems of Henan Province, College of Life SciencesHenan Normal UniversityXinxiangChina
| | - Zhuo Chen
- The Observation and Research Field Station of Taihang Mountain Forest Ecosystems of Henan Province, College of Life SciencesHenan Normal UniversityXinxiangChina
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Lee N, Vélez A, Bee M. Behind the mask(ing): how frogs cope with noise. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2023; 209:47-66. [PMID: 36310303 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-022-01586-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Albert Feng was a pioneer in the field of auditory neuroethology who used frogs to investigate the neural basis of spectral and temporal processing and directional hearing. Among his many contributions was connecting neural mechanisms for sound pattern recognition and localization to the problems of auditory masking that frogs encounter when communicating in noisy, real-world environments. Feng's neurophysiological studies of auditory processing foreshadowed and inspired subsequent behavioral investigations of auditory masking in frogs. For frogs, vocal communication frequently occurs in breeding choruses, where males form dense aggregations and produce loud species-specific advertisement calls to attract potential mates and repel competitive rivals. In this review, we aim to highlight how Feng's research advanced our understanding of how frogs cope with noise. We structure our narrative around three themes woven throughout Feng's research-spectral, temporal, and directional processing-to illustrate how frogs can mitigate problems of auditory masking by exploiting frequency separation between signals and noise, temporal fluctuations in noise amplitude, and spatial separation between signals and noise. We conclude by proposing future research that would build on Feng's considerable legacy to advance our understanding of hearing and sound communication in frogs and other vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norman Lee
- Department of Biology, St. Olaf College, 1520 St. Olaf Ave, Northfield, MN, 55057, USA.
| | - Alejandro Vélez
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA
| | - Mark Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, 1479 Gortner Ave, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, 321 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
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4
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Calabrese GM, Pfennig KS. Females alter their mate preferences depending on hybridization risk. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220310. [PMID: 36382373 PMCID: PMC9667136 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Mating with another species is often maladaptive because it generally results in no or low-fitness offspring. When hybridization is sufficiently costly, individuals should avoid mating with heterospecifics even if it reduces their ability to mate with high-quality conspecifics that resemble heterospecifics. Here, we used spadefoot toads, Spea multiplicata, to evaluate whether females alter their preferences for conspecific male sexual signals (call rate) depending on heterospecific presence. When presented with conspecific signals against a background including both conspecific and heterospecific signals, females preferred male traits that were most dissimilar to heterospecifics-even though these signals are potentially associated with lower-quality mates. However, when these same females were presented with a background that included only conspecific signals, some females switched their preferences, choosing conspecific signals that were exaggerated and indicative of high-quality conspecific mates. Because only some females switched their preferences between these two chorus treatments, there was no population-level preference for exaggerated conspecific male signals in the absence of heterospecifics. These results show that hybridization risk can alter patterns of mate choice and, consequently, sexual selection on male signals. Moreover, they emphasize that the strength and expression of reproductive barriers between species (such as mate choice) can be context-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina M. Calabrese
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, CB# 3280, Coker Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
| | - Karin S. Pfennig
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, CB# 3280, Coker Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
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Zaffaroni-Caorsi V, Both C, Márquez R, Llusia D, Narins P, Debon M, Borges-Martins M. Effects of anthropogenic noise on anuran amphibians. BIOACOUSTICS 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2022.2070543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Zaffaroni-Caorsi
- Programa de Pós–Graduação em Biologia Animal, Dep. de Zoologia, Inst. de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Ambiente, University of TrentoC3A Centro Agricoltura, Alimenti e, Trento, Italy
| | - Camila Both
- Departamento Interdiscipinar, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Tramandaí, RS, Brazil
| | - Rafael Márquez
- Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSICFonoteca Zoológica. Dept. de Biodiversidad y, Madrid, Spain
| | - Diego Llusia
- Terrestrial Ecology Group, Departamento de Ecología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
- Cambio Global, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (CIBC-UAM)Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y , Madrid, Spain
- Comportamento Animal, Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de GoiásLaboratório de Herpetologia e, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Peter Narins
- Departments of Integrative Biology & Physiology, and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Marina Debon
- Dep. de Zoologia, Inst. de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Márcio Borges-Martins
- Programa de Pós–Graduação em Biologia Animal, Dep. de Zoologia, Inst. de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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Chen Z, Liu Y, Liang R, Cui C, Zhu Y, Zhang F, Zhang J, Chen X. Comparative transcriptome analysis provides insights into the molecular mechanisms of high-frequency hearing differences between the sexes of Odorrana tormota. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:296. [PMID: 35410120 PMCID: PMC9004125 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08536-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Acoustic communication is important for the survival and reproduction of anurans and masking background noise is a critical factor for their effective acoustic communication. Males of the concave-eared frog (Odorrana tormota) have evolved an ultrasonic communication capacity to avoid masking by the widespread background noise of local fast-flowing streams, whereas females exhibit no ultrasonic sensitivity. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the high-frequency hearing differences between the sexes of O. tormota are still poorly understood. Results In this study, we sequenced the brain transcriptomes of male and female O. tormota, and compared their differential gene expression. A total of 4,605 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the sexes of O. tormota were identified and eleven of them were related to auditory based on the annotation and enrichment analysis. Most of these DEGs in males showed a higher expression trend than females in both quantity and expression quantity. The highly expressed genes in males were relatively concentrated in neurogenesis, signal transduction, ion transport and energy metabolism, whereas the up-expressed genes in females were mainly related to the growth and development regulation of specific auditory cells. Conclusions The transcriptome of male and female O. tormota has been sequenced and de novo assembled, which will provide gene reference for further genomic studies. In addition, this is the first research to reveal the molecular mechanisms of sex differences in ultrasonic hearing between the sexes of O. tormota and will provide new insights into the genetic basis of the auditory adaptation in amphibians during their transition from water to land. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-022-08536-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China.,The Observation and Research Field Station of Taihang Mountain Forest Ecosystems of Henan Province, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Yao Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Rui Liang
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Chong Cui
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Yanjun Zhu
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Fang Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241000, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China.
| | - Xiaohong Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China. .,The Observation and Research Field Station of Taihang Mountain Forest Ecosystems of Henan Province, Xinxiang, 453007, China.
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7
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Fan Y, Fang K, Sun R, Shen D, Yang J, Tang Y, Fang G. Hierarchical auditory perception for species discrimination and individual recognition in the music frog. Curr Zool 2021; 68:581-591. [DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The ability to discriminate species and recognize individuals is crucial for reproductive success and/or survival in most animals. However, the temporal order and neural localization of these decision-making processes has remained unclear. In this study, event-related potentials (ERPs) were measured in the telencephalon, diencephalon, and mesencephalon of the music frog Nidirana daunchina. These ERPs were elicited by calls from 1 group of heterospecifics (recorded from a sympatric anuran species) and 2 groups of conspecifics that differed in their fundamental frequencies. In terms of the polarity and position within the ERP waveform, auditory ERPs generally consist of 4 main components that link to selective attention (N1), stimulus evaluation (P2), identification (N2), and classification (P3). These occur around 100, 200, 250, and 300 ms after stimulus onset, respectively. Our results show that the N1 amplitudes differed significantly between the heterospecific and conspecific calls, but not between the 2 groups of conspecific calls that differed in fundamental frequency. On the other hand, the N2 amplitudes were significantly different between the 2 groups of conspecific calls, suggesting that the music frogs discriminated the species first, followed by individual identification, since N1 and N2 relate to selective attention and stimuli identification, respectively. Moreover, the P2 amplitudes evoked in females were significantly greater than those in males, indicating the existence of sexual dimorphism in auditory discrimination. In addition, both the N1 amplitudes in the left diencephalon and the P2 amplitudes in the left telencephalon were greater than in other brain areas, suggesting left hemispheric dominance in auditory perception. Taken together, our results support the hypothesis that species discrimination and identification of individual characteristics are accomplished sequentially, and that auditory perception exhibits differences between sexes and in spatial dominance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanzhu Fan
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ke Fang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
- School of Life Science, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Ruolei Sun
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
- School of Life Science, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Di Shen
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yezhong Tang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Guangzhan Fang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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8
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Jiménez-Vargas GM, Atehortua-Vallejo MA, Arcila-Pérez LF, Carvajal-Castro JD, Vargas-Salinas F. Does abiotic noise promote segregation of functional diversity in Neotropical anuran assemblages? Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The abiotic noise of streams can mask the acoustic signals of anurans with a large body size calling at low frequencies, but not the signals emitted by anurans with a small body size calling at high frequencies. As a consequence, the body size of species in assemblages alongside streams is, on average, lower and less variable than that of assemblages away from streams. Given that the body size in anurans is frequently related to life-history traits, it is expected that functional diversity (FD) will be lower in anuran assemblages alongside streams than in assemblages away from streams. We calculated and compared FD, based on six functional traits, for anuran species in seven localities in different biogeographical regions in the Neotropics. In five lowland localities, FD was lower in assemblages alongside streams than in assemblages away from streams. However, the reverse trend was found in two Andean localities. Noise from streams, acting as an environmental filter, could promote low FD because taxa whose phenotype differs from an optimal type (high call frequency, small body size and associated traits) are excluded from riparian places. However, such habitat filtering could be stronger and affect more anurans in lowland assemblages than in those at medium elevation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina Marcela Jiménez-Vargas
- Evolución, Ecología y Conservación (EECO), Facultad de Ciencias Básicas y Nuevas Tecnologías, Programa de Biología, Universidad del Quindío, Carrera 15 Calle 12N Armenia, Quindío, Colombia
| | - Michelle Andrea Atehortua-Vallejo
- Evolución, Ecología y Conservación (EECO), Facultad de Ciencias Básicas y Nuevas Tecnologías, Programa de Biología, Universidad del Quindío, Carrera 15 Calle 12N Armenia, Quindío, Colombia
| | - Luisa F Arcila-Pérez
- Evolución, Ecología y Conservación (EECO), Facultad de Ciencias Básicas y Nuevas Tecnologías, Programa de Biología, Universidad del Quindío, Carrera 15 Calle 12N Armenia, Quindío, Colombia
| | - Juan D Carvajal-Castro
- Evolución, Ecología y Conservación (EECO), Facultad de Ciencias Básicas y Nuevas Tecnologías, Programa de Biología, Universidad del Quindío, Carrera 15 Calle 12N Armenia, Quindío, Colombia
| | - Fernando Vargas-Salinas
- Evolución, Ecología y Conservación (EECO), Facultad de Ciencias Básicas y Nuevas Tecnologías, Programa de Biología, Universidad del Quindío, Carrera 15 Calle 12N Armenia, Quindío, Colombia
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9
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Christensen-Dalsgaard J, Lee N, Bee MA. Lung-to-ear sound transmission does not improve directional hearing in green treefrogs ( Hyla cinerea). J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb232421. [PMID: 32895324 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.232421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Amphibians are unique among extant vertebrates in having middle ear cavities that are internally coupled to each other and to the lungs. In frogs, the lung-to-ear sound transmission pathway can influence the tympanum's inherent directionality, but what role such effects might play in directional hearing remains unclear. In this study of the American green treefrog (Hyla cinerea), we tested the hypothesis that the lung-to-ear sound transmission pathway functions to improve directional hearing, particularly in the context of intraspecific sexual communication. Using laser vibrometry, we measured the tympanum's vibration amplitude in females in response to a frequency modulated sweep presented from 12 sound incidence angles in azimuth. Tympanum directionality was determined across three states of lung inflation (inflated, deflated, reinflated) both for a single tympanum in the form of the vibration amplitude difference (VAD) and for binaural comparisons in the form of the interaural vibration amplitude difference (IVAD). The state of lung inflation had negligible effects (typically less than 0.5 dB) on both VADs and IVADs at frequencies emphasized in the advertisement calls produced by conspecific males (834 and 2730 Hz). Directionality at the peak resonance frequency of the lungs (1558 Hz) was improved by ∼3 dB for a single tympanum when the lungs were inflated versus deflated, but IVADs were not impacted by the state of lung inflation. Based on these results, we reject the hypothesis that the lung-to-ear sound transmission pathway functions to improve directional hearing in frogs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Norman Lee
- Department of Biology, St Olaf College, Northfield, MN 55057, USA
| | - Mark A Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, St Paul, MN 55126, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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10
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Fouquet A, Tilly T, Pašukonis A, Courtois EA, Gaucher P, Ulloa J, Sueur J. Simulated chorus attracts conspecific and heterospecific Amazonian explosive breeding frogs. Biotropica 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Fouquet
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique (EDB) UMR5174 Toulouse France
| | | | | | - Elodie A. Courtois
- Laboratoire Ecologie, Evolution, Interactions des Systèmes Amazoniens (LEEISA) Cayenne French Guiana
| | - Philippe Gaucher
- Laboratoire Ecologie, Evolution, Interactions des Systèmes Amazoniens (LEEISA) Cayenne French Guiana
| | - Juan Ulloa
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB) Muséum National d’Histoire NaturelleCNRSSorbonne UniversitéEPHE Paris France
- Equipe Communications AcoustiquesUMR 9197Neuro‐PSI‐CNRSUniversité Paris‐Sud Orsay France
- Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt Bogotá Colombia
| | - Jérôme Sueur
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB) Muséum National d’Histoire NaturelleCNRSSorbonne UniversitéEPHE Paris France
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11
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Estrela MDN, Simões CRMA, Vieira GHC, de Araújo CB. Predicting the effects of noise on Anuran spatial distribution: the case of Scinax nebulosus. BIOACOUSTICS 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2019.1618394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matheus da N. Estrela
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB), Joao Pessoa, Brazil
| | - Cássio R. M. A. Simões
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biodiversidade e Evolução (PPGBioEvo), Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Brazil
| | - Gustavo H. C. Vieira
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB), Joao Pessoa, Brazil
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Centro de Ciências Exatas e da Natureza, Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB), Joao Pessoa, Brazil
| | - Carlos B. de Araújo
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio Grande do Norte (IFRN), Ipanguaçu, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
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12
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Guerra V, de Queiroz Costa N, Llusia D, Márquez R, Bastos RP. Nightly patterns of calling activity in anuran assemblages of the Cerrado, Brazil. COMMUNITY ECOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s42974-020-00013-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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13
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Ota K, Aihara I, Aoyagi T. Interaction mechanisms quantified from dynamical features of frog choruses. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:191693. [PMID: 32269798 PMCID: PMC7137965 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.191693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We employ a mathematical model (a phase oscillator model) to describe the deterministic and stochastic features of frog choruses in which male frogs attempt to avoid call overlaps. The mathematical model with a general interaction term is identified using a Bayesian approach, and it qualitatively reproduces the stationary and dynamical features of the empirical data. In addition, we quantify the magnitude of attention paid among the male frogs from the identified model, and then analyse the relationship between attention and behavioural parameters using a statistical approach. Our analysis demonstrates a negative correlation between attention and inter-frog distance, and also suggests a behavioural strategy in which male frogs selectively attend to a less attractive male frog (i.e. a male producing calls at longer intervals) in order to more effectively advertise their superior relative attractiveness to females.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ikkyu Aihara
- Graduate School of Systems and Information Engineering, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Toshio Aoyagi
- JST CREST, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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14
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Christie KW, Schul J, Feng AS. Differential effects of sound level and temporal structure of calls on phonotaxis by female gray treefrogs, Hyla versicolor. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2019; 205:223-238. [PMID: 30927060 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-019-01325-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2017] [Revised: 12/25/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We investigated how communication distance influenced the efficacy of communication by studying the effects of two attributes of male chorus sounds, namely, reduction in sound level and degradation of temporal sound structure, on attraction and accuracy of female phonotaxis in gray treefrogs, Hyla versicolor. For this, we conducted acoustic playback experiments, using synthetic calls and natural calls recorded at increasing distances from a focal male as stimuli. We found that the degradation of temporal structure had a greater effect on signal attractiveness than did the reduction in sound level, and that increasing sound level preferentially affected the attractiveness of proximally recorded calls, with less temporal degradation. Unlike signal attraction, accuracy of female localization increased systematically with the sound level. These results suggest that the degradation of temporal fine structure from both the chorus and signal-environmental effects imposes a limit for effective communication distances for female treefrogs in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin W Christie
- Neuroscience Program and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA. .,Biology Department, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
| | - Johannes Schul
- Division of Biological Science, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Albert S Feng
- Neuroscience Program and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
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15
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Fan Y, Yue X, Xue F, Cui J, Brauth SE, Tang Y, Fang G. Auditory perception exhibits sexual dimorphism and left telencephalic dominance in Xenopus laevis. Biol Open 2018; 7:7/12/bio035956. [PMID: 30509903 PMCID: PMC6310876 DOI: 10.1242/bio.035956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in both vocalization and auditory processing have been commonly found in vocal animals, although the underlying neural mechanisms associated with sexual dimorphism of auditory processing are not well understood. In this study we investigated whether auditory perception exhibits sexual dimorphism in Xenopus laevis. To do this we measured event-related potentials (ERPs) evoked by white noise (WN) and conspecific calls in the telencephalon, diencephalon and mesencephalon respectively. Results showed that (1) the N1 amplitudes evoked in the right telencephalon and right diencephalon of males by WN are significantly different from those evoked in females; (2) in males the N1 amplitudes evoked by conspecific calls are significantly different from those evoked by WN; (3) in females the N1 amplitude for the left mesencephalon was significantly lower than for other brain areas, while the P2 and P3 amplitudes for the right mesencephalon were the smallest; in contrast these amplitudes for the left mesencephalon were the smallest in males. These results suggest auditory perception is sexually dimorphic. Moreover, the amplitude of each ERP component (N1, P2 and P3) for the left telencephalon was the largest in females and/or males, suggesting that left telencephalic dominance exists for auditory perception in Xenopus. Summary: Investigation of auditory neural mechanisms in the South African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) indicates that auditory perception exhibits sexual dimorphism and left telencephalic advantage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanzhu Fan
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.9 Section 4, Renmin South Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xizi Yue
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.9 Section 4, Renmin South Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Fei Xue
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, 26 Panda Road, Northern Suburb, Chengdu, Sichuan 610081, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianguo Cui
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.9 Section 4, Renmin South Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Steven E Brauth
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD20742, USA
| | - Yezhong Tang
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.9 Section 4, Renmin South Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangzhan Fang
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.9 Section 4, Renmin South Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
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16
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Brüggemeier B, Porter MA, Vigoreaux JO, Goodwin SF. Female Drosophila melanogaster respond to song-amplitude modulations. Biol Open 2018; 7:bio032003. [PMID: 29666051 PMCID: PMC6031343 DOI: 10.1242/bio.032003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2017] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Males in numerous animal species use mating songs to attract females and intimidate competitors. We demonstrate that modulations in song amplitude are behaviourally relevant in the fruit fly Drosophila We show that Drosophilamelanogaster females prefer amplitude modulations that are typical of melanogaster song over other modulations, which suggests that amplitude modulations are processed auditorily by D. melanogaster Our work demonstrates that receivers can decode messages in amplitude modulations, complementing the recent finding that male flies actively control song amplitude. To describe amplitude modulations, we propose the concept of song amplitude structure (SAS) and discuss similarities and differences to amplitude modulation with distance (AMD).This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Brüggemeier
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
- AudioLabs, Fraunhofer-Institut für Integrierte Schaltungen, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Mason A Porter
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
- CABDyN Complexity Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 1HP, UK
| | - Jim O Vigoreaux
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Stephen F Goodwin
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
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17
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Rosa P, Koper N. Integrating multiple disciplines to understand effects of anthropogenic noise on animal communication. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Rosa
- Natural Resources Institute; University of Manitoba; 70 Dysart Road Winnipeg Manitoba R3T 2M6 Canada
| | - Nicola Koper
- Natural Resources Institute; University of Manitoba; 70 Dysart Road Winnipeg Manitoba R3T 2M6 Canada
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18
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Robustness of an innate releasing mechanism against degradation of acoustic communication signals in the grasshopper Chorthippus biguttulus. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2018; 204:319-328. [PMID: 29294159 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1243-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Revised: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Noise is a challenge for animals that use acoustic communication to find a mate. A potent source of noise in animal communication is that arising from other conspecific signals, whose co-occurrence can result in extensive interference-evident as the so called "cocktail-party problem"-that may affect the receiver mechanisms to detect potential mates. We studied grasshopper females to explore how modifications of the song pattern influence song recognition. First, we degraded an attractive model song with random fluctuations of increasing amplitudes out of different frequency bands, and determined "critical degradation levels" at which the females ceased to respond. A masker band with frequencies between 0 and 200 Hz, which covers the frequency range of the natural song envelope, was by 3-5 dB more destructive in hampering signal recognition than frequencies above 200 Hz. As second approach, we applied temporal disturbances such as accentuations or gaps at different positions within the song subunits and observed how response behavior was affected. Accentuations at subunit start increased, whereas those in the midst or at the end of a subunit reduced attractiveness. Gaps at these positions had diverse effects. The results are discussed with respect to neuronal filtering.
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19
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Simmons AM, Narins PM. Effects of Anthropogenic Noise on Amphibians and Reptiles. EFFECTS OF ANTHROPOGENIC NOISE ON ANIMALS 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8574-6_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
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20
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Ringler M, Szipl G, Hödl W, Khil L, Kofler B, Lonauer M, Provin C, Ringler E. Acoustic ranging in poison frogs-it is not about signal amplitude alone. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017; 71:114. [PMID: 28757679 PMCID: PMC5506510 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2340-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Revised: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Acoustic ranging allows identifying the distance of a sound source and mediates inter-individual spacing and aggression in territorial species. Birds and mammals are known to use more complex cues than only sound pressure level (SPL), which can be influenced by the signaller and signal transmission in non-predictable ways and thus is not reliable by itself. For frogs, only SPL is currently known to mediate inter-individual distances, but we hypothesise that the strong territoriality of Dendrobatids could make the use of complex cues for ranging highly beneficial for this family. Therefore, we tested the ranging abilities of territorial males of Allobates femoralis (Dendrobatidae, Aromobatinae) in playback trials, using amplitude-normalized signals that were naturally degraded over distance, and synthetic signals that were masked with different levels of noise. Frogs responded significantly less to signals recorded from larger distances, regardless of SPL and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), but showed no differential response to natural minimum and maximum SNRs across the typical communication range in wild populations. This indicates that frogs used signal amplitude and SNR only as ancillary cues when assessing the distance of sound sources and relied instead mainly on more complex cues, such as spectral degradation or reverberation. We suggest that this ability mediates territorial spacing and mate choice in A. femoralis. Good ranging abilities might also play a role in the remarkable orientation performance of this species, probably by enabling the establishment of a mental acoustic map of the habitat. Significance statement Acoustic ranging allows the distance of vocalizing competitors and mates to be identified. While birds and mammals are known to use complex cues such as temporal degradation, frequency-dependent attenuation and reverberation for ranging, previous research indicated that frogs rely only on signal amplitude (sound pressure level) to assess the distance of other callers. The present study shows for the first time that also poison frogs can make use of more complex cues, an ability which is likely to be highly beneficial in their territorial social organization and probably can also be used for orientation. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00265-017-2340-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Ringler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606 USA
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Georgine Szipl
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle, Core Facility, University of Vienna, Fischerau 11, 4645 Grünau im Almtal, Austria
| | - Walter Hödl
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Leander Khil
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Barbara Kofler
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Lonauer
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christina Provin
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Eva Ringler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606 USA
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, and University of Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
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21
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Nelson DV, Klinck H, Carbaugh-Rutland A, Mathis CL, Morzillo AT, Garcia TS. Calling at the highway: The spatiotemporal constraint of road noise on Pacific chorus frog communication. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:429-440. [PMID: 28070305 PMCID: PMC5216672 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Revised: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Loss of acoustic habitat due to anthropogenic noise is a key environmental stressor for vocal amphibian species, a taxonomic group that is experiencing global population declines. The Pacific chorus frog (Pseudacris regilla) is the most common vocal species of the Pacific Northwest and can occupy human‐dominated habitat types, including agricultural and urban wetlands. This species is exposed to anthropogenic noise, which can interfere with vocalizations during the breeding season. We hypothesized that Pacific chorus frogs would alter the spatial and temporal structure of their breeding vocalizations in response to road noise, a widespread anthropogenic stressor. We compared Pacific chorus frog call structure and ambient road noise levels along a gradient of road noise exposures in the Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA. We used both passive acoustic monitoring and directional recordings to determine source level (i.e., amplitude or volume), dominant frequency (i.e., pitch), call duration, and call rate of individual frogs and to quantify ambient road noise levels. Pacific chorus frogs were unable to change their vocalizations to compensate for road noise. A model of the active space and time (“spatiotemporal communication”) over which a Pacific chorus frog vocalization could be heard revealed that in high‐noise habitats, spatiotemporal communication was drastically reduced for an individual. This may have implications for the reproductive success of this species, which relies on specific call repertoires to portray relative fitness and attract mates. Using the acoustic call parameters defined by this study (frequency, source level, call rate, and call duration), we developed a simplified model of acoustic communication space–time for this species. This model can be used in combination with models that determine the insertion loss for various acoustic barriers to define the impact of anthropogenic noise on the radius of communication in threatened species. Additionally, this model can be applied to other vocal taxonomic groups provided the necessary acoustic parameters are determined, including the frequency parameters and perception thresholds. Reduction in acoustic habitat by anthropogenic noise may emerge as a compounding environmental stressor for an already sensitive taxonomic group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle V Nelson
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Corvallis OR USA; ARCS Foundation Scholar Arcata CA USA
| | - Holger Klinck
- Bioacoustics Research Program Cornell Lab of Ornithology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA; Cooperative Institute for Marine Resources Oregon State University and NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory Newport OR USA
| | | | - Codey L Mathis
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Corvallis OR USA
| | - Anita T Morzillo
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Connecticut Storrs CT USA
| | - Tiffany S Garcia
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Corvallis OR USA
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22
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Rehberg-Besler N, Doucet SM, Mennill DJ. Overlapping vocalizations produce far-reaching choruses: a test of the signal enhancement hypothesis. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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23
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Bee MA, Christensen-Dalsgaard J. Sound source localization and segregation with internally coupled ears: the treefrog model. BIOLOGICAL CYBERNETICS 2016; 110:271-290. [PMID: 27730384 PMCID: PMC5107320 DOI: 10.1007/s00422-016-0695-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Acoustic signaling plays key roles in mediating many of the reproductive and social behaviors of anurans (frogs and toads). Moreover, acoustic signaling often occurs at night, in structurally complex habitats, such as densely vegetated ponds, and in dense breeding choruses characterized by high levels of background noise and acoustic clutter. Fundamental to anuran behavior is the ability of the auditory system to determine accurately the location from where sounds originate in space (sound source localization) and to assign specific sounds in the complex acoustic milieu of a chorus to their correct sources (sound source segregation). Here, we review anatomical, biophysical, neurophysiological, and behavioral studies aimed at identifying how the internally coupled ears of frogs contribute to sound source localization and segregation. Our review focuses on treefrogs in the genus Hyla, as they are the most thoroughly studied frogs in terms of sound source localization and segregation. They also represent promising model systems for future work aimed at understanding better how internally coupled ears contribute to sound source localization and segregation. We conclude our review by enumerating directions for future research on these animals that will require the collaborative efforts of biologists, physicists, and roboticists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 140 Gortner Laboratories, 1479 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA.
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24
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Inherent Directionality Determines Spatial Release from Masking at the Tympanum in a Vertebrate with Internally Coupled Ears. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2016; 17:259-70. [PMID: 27125545 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-016-0568-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/10/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In contrast to humans and other mammals, many animals have internally coupled ears that function as inherently directional pressure-gradient receivers. Two important but unanswered questions are to what extent and how do animals with such ears exploit spatial cues in the perceptual analysis of noisy and complex acoustic scenes? This study of Cope's gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) investigated how the inherent directionality of internally coupled ears contributes to spatial release from masking. We used laser vibrometry and signal detection theory to determine the threshold signal-to-noise ratio at which the tympanum's response to vocalizations could be reliably detected in noise. Thresholds were determined as a function of signal location, noise location, and signal-noise separation. Vocalizations were broadcast from one of three azimuthal locations: frontal (0 °), to the right (+90 °), and to the left (-90 °). Masking noise was broadcast from each of 12 azimuthal angles around the frog (0 to 330 °, 30 ° separation). Variation in the position of the noise source resulted in, on average, 4 dB of spatial release from masking relative to co-located conditions. However, detection thresholds could be up to 9 dB lower in the "best ear for listening" compared to the other ear. The pattern and magnitude of spatial release from masking were well predicted by the tympanum's inherent directionality. We discuss how the magnitude of masking release observed in the tympanum's response to spatially separated signals and noise relates to that observed in previous behavioral and neurophysiological studies of frog hearing and communication.
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25
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Kruger DJD, Du Preez LH. The effect of airplane noise on frogs: a case study on the Critically Endangered Pickersgill’s reed frog (Hyperolius pickersgilli). Ecol Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-016-1349-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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26
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Muller BJ, Pike DA, Schwarzkopf L. Defining the active space of cane toad (Rhinella marina) advertisement calls: males respond from further than females. BEHAVIOUR 2016. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Many animals produce advertisement vocalisations to attract mates. A vocalisation’s active space is the area within which a receiver responds to it, while its maximum extent occurs when a receiver stops responding. We mapped behavioural responses of male and female cane toads (Rhinella marina) to advertisement calls, by conducting experimental playbacks to: (i) examine attenuation of a cane toad call, (ii) define the active space of these vocalisations, by measuring phonotaxis at different distances from the call, and (iii) quantify the active space of calls for both sexes, separately. The call was fully attenuated 120–130 m from its source. Both sexes displayed positive phonotaxis 20–70 m from calls. Males also displayed positive phonotaxis 70–120 m from calls, whereas females’ movement preferences were random >70 m from a call. Differences between male and female responses were likely driven by differences in their use of information provided by calls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J. Muller
- Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change, James Cook University, Building 145, ATSIP, James Cook Drive, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - David A. Pike
- Department of Biology, Rhodes College, 2000 North Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112, USA
| | - Lin Schwarzkopf
- Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change, James Cook University, Building 145, ATSIP, James Cook Drive, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
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27
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Schwartz JJ, Hunce R, Lentine B, Powers K. Calling site choice and its impact on call degradation and call attractiveness in the gray treefrog, Hyla versicolor. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-2016-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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28
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Starnberger I, Preininger D, Hödl W. From uni- to multimodality: towards an integrative view on anuran communication. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2014; 200:777-87. [PMID: 24973893 PMCID: PMC4138437 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-014-0923-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2014] [Revised: 06/06/2014] [Accepted: 06/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Undeniably, acoustic signals are the predominant mode of communication in frogs and toads. Acoustically active species are found throughout the vast diversity of anuran families. However, additional or alternative signal modalities have gained increasing attention. In several anurans, seismic, visual and chemical communications have convergently evolved due to ecological constraints such as noisy environments. The production of a visual cue, like the inevitably moving vocal sac of acoustically advertising males, is emphasized by conspicuously coloured throats. Limb movements accompanied by dynamic displays of bright colours are additional examples of striking visual signals independent of vocalizations. In some multimodal anuran communication systems, the acoustic component acts as an alert signal, which alters the receiver attention to the following visual display. Recent findings of colourful glands on vocal sacs, producing volatile species-specific scent bouquets suggest the possibility of integration of acoustic, visual and chemical cues in species recognition and mate choice. The combination of signal components facilitates a broadened display repertoire in challenging environmental conditions. Thus, the complexity of the communication systems of frogs and toads may have been underestimated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Starnberger
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria,
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29
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Dip listening or modulation masking? Call recognition by green treefrogs (Hyla cinerea) in temporally fluctuating noise. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2012; 198:891-904. [PMID: 23069882 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-012-0760-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2012] [Revised: 09/08/2012] [Accepted: 09/13/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Despite the importance of perceptually separating signals from background noise, we still know little about how nonhuman animals solve this problem. Dip listening, an ability to catch meaningful 'acoustic glimpses' of a target signal when fluctuating background noise levels momentarily drop, constitutes one possible solution. Amplitude-modulated noises, however, can sometimes impair signal recognition through a process known as modulation masking. We asked whether fluctuating noise simulating a breeding chorus affects the ability of female green treefrogs (Hyla cinerea) to recognize male advertisement calls. Our analysis of recordings of the sounds of green treefrog choruses reveal that their levels fluctuate primarily at rates below 10 Hz. In laboratory phonotaxis tests, we found no evidence for dip listening or modulation masking. Mean signal recognition thresholds in the presence of fluctuating chorus-like noises were never statistically different from those in the presence of a non-fluctuating control. An analysis of statistical effects sizes indicates that masker fluctuation rates, and the presence versus absence of fluctuations, had negligible effects on subject behavior. Together, our results suggest that females listening in natural settings should receive no benefits, nor experience any additional constraints, as a result of level fluctuations in the soundscape of green treefrog choruses.
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30
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Bee MA. Sound source perception in anuran amphibians. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2012; 22:301-10. [PMID: 22265243 PMCID: PMC3338885 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2011.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2011] [Revised: 12/28/2011] [Accepted: 12/30/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Sound source perception refers to the auditory system's ability to parse incoming sensory information into coherent representations of distinct sound sources in the environment. Such abilities are no doubt key to successful communication in many taxa, but we know little about their function in animal communication systems. For anuran amphibians (frogs and toads), social and reproductive behaviors depend on a listener's ability to hear and identify sound signals amid high levels of background noise in acoustically cluttered environments. Recent neuroethological studies are revealing how frogs parse these complex acoustic scenes to identify individual calls in noisy breeding choruses. Current evidence highlights some interesting similarities and differences in how the auditory systems of frogs and other vertebrates (most notably birds and mammals) perform auditory scene analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA.
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31
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Vélez A, Bee MA. Dip listening and the cocktail party problem in grey treefrogs: Signal recognition in temporally fluctuating noise. Anim Behav 2011; 82:1319-1327. [PMID: 22389519 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Dip listening refers to our ability to catch brief "acoustic glimpses" of speech and other sounds when fluctuating background noise levels momentarily decrease. Exploiting dips in natural fluctuations of noise contributes to our ability to overcome the "cocktail party problem" of understanding speech in multi-talker social environments. We presently know little about how nonhuman animals solve analogous communication problems. Here, we asked whether female grey treefrogs (Hyla chrysoscelis) might benefit from dip listening in selecting a mate in the noisy social setting of a breeding chorus. Consistent with a dip listening hypothesis, subjects recognized conspecific calls at lower thresholds when the dips in a chorus-like noise masker were long enough to allow glimpses of nine or more consecutive pulses. No benefits of dip listening were observed when dips were shorter and included five or fewer pulses. Recognition thresholds were higher when the noise fluctuated at a rate similar to the pulse rate of the call. In a second experiment, advertisement calls comprising six to nine pulses were necessary to elicit responses under quiet conditions. Together, these results suggest that in frogs, the benefits of dip listening are constrained by neural mechanisms underlying temporal pattern recognition. These constraints have important implications for the evolution of male signalling strategies in noisy social environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Vélez
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, 100 Ecology, 1987, Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN 55108
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