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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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2
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Torrent frogs emit acoustic signals of a narrower spectral range in habitats with longer-lasting biotic background noise. Behav Processes 2022; 200:104700. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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3
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Niu W, Shen D, Sun R, Fan Y, Yang J, Zhang B, Fang G. Possible Event-Related Potential Correlates of Voluntary Attention and Reflexive Attention in the Emei Music Frog. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:879. [PMID: 35741400 PMCID: PMC9219635 DOI: 10.3390/biology11060879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Attention, referring to selective processing of task-related information, is central to cognition. It has been proposed that voluntary attention (driven by current goals or tasks and under top-down control) and reflexive attention (driven by stimulus salience and under bottom-up control) struggle to control the focus of attention with interaction in a push-pull fashion for everyday perception in higher vertebrates. However, how auditory attention engages in auditory perception in lower vertebrates remains unclear. In this study, each component of auditory event-related potentials (ERP) related to attention was measured for the telencephalon, diencephalon and mesencephalon in the Emei music frog (Nidirana daunchina), during the broadcasting of acoustic stimuli invoking voluntary attention (using binary playback paradigm with silence replacement) and reflexive attention (using equiprobably random playback paradigm), respectively. Results showed that (1) when the sequence of acoustic stimuli could be predicted, the amplitudes of stimulus preceding negativity (SPN) evoked by silence replacement in the forebrain were significantly greater than that in the mesencephalon, suggesting voluntary attention may engage in auditory perception in this species because of the correlation between the SPN component and top-down control such as expectation and/or prediction; (2) alternately, when the sequence of acoustic stimuli could not be predicted, the N1 amplitudes evoked in the mesencephalon were significantly greater than those in other brain areas, implying that reflexive attention may be involved in auditory signal processing because the N1 components relate to selective attention; and (3) both SPN and N1 components could be evoked by the predicted stimuli, suggesting auditory perception of the music frogs might invoke the two kind of attention resources simultaneously. The present results show that human-like ERP components related to voluntary attention and reflexive attention exist in the lower vertebrates also.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjun Niu
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; (W.N.); (D.S.); (Y.F.); (J.Y.)
- School of Life Science, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China; (R.S.); (B.Z.)
| | - Di Shen
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; (W.N.); (D.S.); (Y.F.); (J.Y.)
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ruolei Sun
- School of Life Science, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China; (R.S.); (B.Z.)
| | - Yanzhu Fan
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; (W.N.); (D.S.); (Y.F.); (J.Y.)
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; (W.N.); (D.S.); (Y.F.); (J.Y.)
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Baowei Zhang
- School of Life Science, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China; (R.S.); (B.Z.)
| | - Guangzhan Fang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; (W.N.); (D.S.); (Y.F.); (J.Y.)
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
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4
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Social modulation of spatial dynamics in treefrog choruses. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03163-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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5
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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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6
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Auditory and distance cues interact to modulate female gray treefrog preferences for male advertisement calls. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03037-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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7
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Taylor RC, Wilhite KO, Ludovici RJ, Mitchell KM, Halfwerk W, Page RA, Ryan MJ, Hunter KL. Complex sensory environments alter mate choice outcomes. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:jeb233288. [PMID: 33188061 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.233288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Noise is a common problem in animal communication. We know little, however, about how animals communicate in the presence of noise using multimodal signals. Multimodal signals are hypothesised to be favoured by evolution because they increase the efficacy of detection and discrimination in noisy environments. We tested the hypothesis that female túngara frogs' responses to attractive male advertisement calls are improved in noise when a visual signal component is added to the available choices. We tested this at two levels of decision complexity (two and three choices). In a two-choice test, the presence of noise did not reduce female preferences for attractive calls. The visual component of a calling male, associated with an unattractive call, also did not reduce preference for attractive calls in the absence of noise. In the presence of noise, however, females were more likely to choose an unattractive call coupled with the visual component. In three-choice tests, the presence of noise alone reduced female responses to attractive calls and this was not strongly affected by the presence or absence of visual components. The responses in these experiments fail to support the multimodal signal efficacy hypothesis. Instead, the data suggest that audio-visual perception and cognitive processing, related to mate choice decisions, are dependent on the complexity of the sensory scene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan C Taylor
- Department of Biology, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD 21801, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092 Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama
| | - Kyle O Wilhite
- Department of Biology, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD 21801, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | | | - Kelsey M Mitchell
- Department of Biology, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD 21801, USA
| | - Wouter Halfwerk
- Department of Ecological Science, VU University, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Rachel A Page
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092 Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama
| | - Michael J Ryan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092 Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Kimberly L Hunter
- Department of Biology, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD 21801, USA
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8
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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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9
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Gupta S, Bee MA. Treefrogs exploit temporal coherence to form perceptual objects of communication signals. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200573. [PMID: 32961090 PMCID: PMC7532704 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
For many animals, navigating their environment requires an ability to organize continuous streams of sensory input into discrete 'perceptual objects' that correspond to physical entities in visual and auditory scenes. The human visual and auditory systems follow several Gestalt laws of perceptual organization to bind constituent features into coherent perceptual objects. A largely unexplored question is whether nonhuman animals follow similar Gestalt laws in perceiving behaviourally relevant stimuli, such as communication signals. We used females of Cope's grey treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) to test the hypothesis that temporal coherence-a powerful Gestalt principle in human auditory scene analysis-promotes perceptual binding in forming auditory objects of species-typical vocalizations. According to the principle of temporal coherence, sound elements that start and stop at the same time or that modulate coherently over time are likely to become bound together into the same auditory object. We found that the natural temporal coherence between two spectral components of advertisement calls promotes their perceptual binding into auditory objects of advertisement calls. Our findings confirm the broad ecological validity of temporal coherence as a Gestalt law of auditory perceptual organization guiding the formation of biologically relevant perceptual objects in animal behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saumya Gupta
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Mark A. Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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10
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Shen D, Fang K, Fan Y, Shen J, Yang J, Cui J, Tang Y, Fang G. Sex differences in vocalization are reflected by event-related potential components in the music frog. Anim Cogn 2020; 23:477-490. [PMID: 32016618 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-020-01350-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2018] [Revised: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in vocalization have been commonly found in vocal animals. It remains unclear, however, how animals perceive and discriminate these differences. The amplitudes and latencies of event-related potentials (ERP) components can reflect the auditory processing efficiency and time course. We investigated the neural mechanisms of auditory processing in the Emei music frog (Nidirana daunchina) using an Oddball paradigm with ERP. We recorded and analyzed eletroencephalogram (EEG) signals from the forebrain and midbrain when the subjects listened to white noise (WN) and conspecific sex-specific vocalizations. We found that (1) both amplitudes and latencies of some ERP components evoked by conspecific calls were significantly higher than those by WN, suggesting the music frogs can discriminate conspecific vocalizations from background noise; (2) both amplitudes and latencies of most ERP components evoked by female calls were significantly higher or longer than those by male calls, implying that the ERP components can reflect sex differences in vocalization; and (3) there were significant differences in ERP amplitudes between male and female subjects, suggesting a sexual dimorphism in auditory perception. Together, the present results indicate that the music frog could discriminate conspecific calls from noise, male's calls from female's ones, and sexual dimorphism of auditory perception existed in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Shen
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 9 Section 4, Renmin Nan Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ke Fang
- Institute of Bio-Inspired Structure and Surface Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 210016, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanzhu Fan
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 9 Section 4, Renmin Nan Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiangyan Shen
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 9 Section 4, Renmin Nan Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Yang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 9 Section 4, Renmin Nan Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianguo Cui
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 9 Section 4, Renmin Nan Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yezhong Tang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 9 Section 4, Renmin Nan Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangzhan Fang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 9 Section 4, Renmin Nan Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
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11
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12
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Virgo J, Ruppert A, Lampert KP, Grafe TU, Eltz T. The sound of a blood meal: Acoustic ecology of frog‐biting midges (
Corethrella
) in lowland Pacific Costa Rica. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Virgo
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Ruhr‐University Bochum Bochum Germany
| | - Alexander Ruppert
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Ruhr‐University Bochum Bochum Germany
| | - Kathrin P. Lampert
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Ruhr‐University Bochum Bochum Germany
- Institute of Zoology University of Cologne Cologne Germany
| | - T. Ulmar Grafe
- Faculty of Science University Brunei Darussalam Gadong Brunei Darussalam
| | - Thomas Eltz
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Ruhr‐University Bochum Bochum Germany
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13
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Fan Y, Yue X, Yang J, Shen J, Shen D, Tang Y, Fang G. Preference of spectral features in auditory processing for advertisement calls in the music frogs. Front Zool 2019; 16:13. [PMID: 31168310 PMCID: PMC6509768 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-019-0314-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal vocal signals encode very important information for communication during which the importance of temporal and spectral characteristics of vocalizations is always asymmetrical and species-specific. However, it is still unknown how auditory system represents this asymmetrical and species-specific patterns. In this study, auditory event related potential (ERP) changes were evaluated in the Emei music frog (Babina daunchina) to assess the differences in eliciting neural responses of both temporal and spectral features for the telencephalon, diencephalon and mesencephalon respectively. To do this, an acoustic playback experiment using an oddball paradigm design was conducted, in which an original advertisement call (OC), its spectral feature preserved version (SC) and temporal feature preserved version (TC) were used as deviant stimuli with synthesized white noise as standard stimulus. RESULTS The present results show that 1) compared with TC, more similar ERP components were evoked by OC and SC; and 2) the P3a amplitudes in the forebrain evoked by OC were significantly higher in males than in females. CONCLUSIONS Together, the results provide evidence for suggesting neural processing for conspecific vocalization may prefer to the spectral features in the music frog, prompting speculation that the spectral features may play more important roles in auditory object perception or vocal communication in this species. In addition, the neural processing for auditory perception is sexually dimorphic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanzhu Fan
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.9 Section 4, Renmin Nan Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041 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 Nan Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041 People’s Republic of China
| | - Jing Yang
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.9 Section 4, Renmin Nan Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041 People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiangyan Shen
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.9 Section 4, Renmin Nan Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041 People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Di Shen
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.9 Section 4, Renmin Nan Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041 People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yezhong Tang
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.9 Section 4, Renmin Nan Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041 People’s Republic of China
| | - Guangzhan Fang
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.9 Section 4, Renmin Nan Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041 People’s Republic of China
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14
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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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15
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Quattrini F, Kasozi H, Polo-Cavia N, Márquez R, Narins PM, Hödl W. Behavioral and Morphological Divergence of Sympatric Morphotypes ofLeptopelis flavomaculatus(Anura, Arthroleptidae) in Northeastern Tanzania. HERPETOLOGICA 2018. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-17-00048.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fausto Quattrini
- Laboratory of Eco-ethology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Herbert Kasozi
- Zoology Museum, Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Nuria Polo-Cavia
- Fonoteca Zoológica, Departamento Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales—CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Márquez
- Fonoteca Zoológica, Departamento Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales—CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Peter M. Narins
- Departments of Integrative Biology & Physiology, and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Walter Hödl
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
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16
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Quattrini F, Kasozi H, Polo-Cavia N, Márquez RA, Narins PM, Hödl W. Behavioral and Morphological Divergence of Sympatric Morphotypes of Leptopelis flavomaculatus (Anura, Arthroleptidae) in Northeastern Tanzania. HERPETOLOGICA 2018. [DOI: 10.1655/0018-0831.311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fausto Quattrini
- Laboratory of Eco-ethology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Herbert Kasozi
- Zoology Museum, Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Nuria Polo-Cavia
- Fonoteca Zoológica, Departamento Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales—CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - RAfael Márquez
- Fonoteca Zoológica, Departamento Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales—CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Peter M. Narins
- Departments of Integrative Biology & Physiology, and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Walter Hödl
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
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17
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Ferreira GBS, Scheutz M, Boyd SK. Mate choice strategies in a spatially-explicit model environment. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0202680. [PMID: 30138426 PMCID: PMC6107201 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Decisions about the choice of a mate can greatly impact both individual fitness and selection processes. We developed a novel agent-based model to investigate two common mate choice rules that may be used by female gray treefrogs (Hyla versicolor). In this model environment, female agents using the minimum-threshold strategy found higher quality mates and traveled shorter distances on average, compared with female agents using the best-of-n strategy. Females using the minimum-threshold strategy, however, incur significant lost opportunity costs, depending on the male population quality average. The best-of-n strategy leads to significant female:female competition that limits their ability to find high quality mates. Thus, when the sex ratio is 0.8, best-of-5 and best-of-2 strategies yield mates of nearly identical quality. Although the distance traveled by females in the mating task varied depending on male spatial distribution in the environment, this did not interact with female choice for the best-of-n or minimum-threshold strategies. By incorporating empirical data from the frogs in this temporally- and spatially-explicit model, we thus show the emergence of novel interactions of common decision-making rules with realistic environmental variables.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthias Scheutz
- Department of Computer Science, Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States of America
| | - Sunny K. Boyd
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States of America
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18
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Moskát C, Hauber ME, Bán M, Fülöp A, Geltsch N, Marton A, Elek Z. Are both notes of the common cuckoo's call necessary for familiarity recognition? Behav Processes 2018; 157:685-690. [PMID: 29559339 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Revised: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Common cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) are best known for their simple two-note calls ("cu-coo"), which are uttered only by males during the breeding season. A previous playback study revealed that territorial males were more tolerant toward playbacks of the calls of familiar, neighbouring individuals than toward unfamiliar, stranger simulated intruders, exhibiting the classical "dear-enemy" phenomenon. Here we experimentally assessed whether the acoustic cues for familiarity recognition are encoded in the first and/or second note of these simple calls. To do so, we played mixed sound files to radio-tagged cuckoos, where the first part of the two-note calls was taken from strangers and the second part from neighbours, or vice versa. As controls, we used behavioural data from two-note neighbour and two-note stranger call playbacks. Cuckoos responded consistently to the two types of mixed sound files. When either the first or second note of the call was taken from a stranger and the other note from a neighbour, they responded to these sound files similarly to two-note playbacks of strangers: they approached the speaker of the playbacks more closely and the calling response-latency to playbacks was longer than to familiar controls. These findings point to the importance of both notes in familiarity recognition. We conclude that familiarity recognition in male common cuckoos needs the complete structure of the two-note cuckoo call, which is characteristic for this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Csaba Moskát
- MTA-ELTE-MTM Ecology Research Group, a Joint Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the Biological Institute of the Eötvös Loránd University and the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Márk E Hauber
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
| | - Miklós Bán
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Attila Fülöp
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Nikoletta Geltsch
- MTA-ELTE-MTM Ecology Research Group, a Joint Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the Biological Institute of the Eötvös Loránd University and the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila Marton
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Elek
- MTA-ELTE-MTM Ecology Research Group, a Joint Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the Biological Institute of the Eötvös Loránd University and the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Hungary
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19
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Fang K, Zhang B, Brauth SE, Tang Y, Fang G. The first call note of the Anhui tree frog (Rhacophorus zhoukaiya) is acoustically suited for enabling individual recognition. BIOACOUSTICS 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2017.1422805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ke Fang
- School of Life Science, Anhui University, Hefei, China
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Baowei Zhang
- School of Life Science, Anhui University, Hefei, China
| | - Steven E. Brauth
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Yezhong Tang
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Guangzhan Fang
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
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20
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Lee N, Mason AC. How spatial release from masking may fail to function in a highly directional auditory system. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28425912 PMCID: PMC5443663 DOI: 10.7554/elife.20731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatial release from masking (SRM) occurs when spatial separation between a signal and masker decreases masked thresholds. The mechanically-coupled ears of Ormia ochracea are specialized for hyperacute directional hearing, but the possible role of SRM, or whether such specializations exhibit limitations for sound source segregation, is unknown. We recorded phonotaxis to a cricket song masked by band-limited noise. With a masker, response thresholds increased and localization was diverted away from the signal and masker. Increased separation from 6° to 90° did not decrease response thresholds or improve localization accuracy, thus SRM does not operate in this range of spatial separations. Tympanal vibrations and auditory nerve responses reveal that localization errors were consistent with changes in peripheral coding of signal location and flies localized towards the ear with better signal detection. Our results demonstrate that, in a mechanically coupled auditory system, specialization for directional hearing does not contribute to source segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norman Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Integrative Behaviour and Neuroscience Group, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Canada
| | - Andrew C Mason
- Department of Biological Sciences, Integrative Behaviour and Neuroscience Group, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Canada
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21
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Farris HE, Ryan MJ. Schema vs. primitive perceptual grouping: the relative weighting of sequential vs. spatial cues during an auditory grouping task in frogs. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 203:175-182. [PMID: 28197725 PMCID: PMC10084916 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1149-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Revised: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Perceptually, grouping sounds based on their sources is critical for communication. This is especially true in túngara frog breeding aggregations, where multiple males produce overlapping calls that consist of an FM 'whine' followed by harmonic bursts called 'chucks'. Phonotactic females use at least two cues to group whines and chucks: whine-chuck spatial separation and sequence. Spatial separation is a primitive cue, whereas sequence is schema-based, as chuck production is morphologically constrained to follow whines, meaning that males cannot produce the components simultaneously. When one cue is available, females perceptually group whines and chucks using relative comparisons: components with the smallest spatial separation or those closest to the natural sequence are more likely grouped. By simultaneously varying the temporal sequence and spatial separation of a single whine and two chucks, this study measured between-cue perceptual weighting during a specific grouping task. Results show that whine-chuck spatial separation is a stronger grouping cue than temporal sequence, as grouping is more likely for stimuli with smaller spatial separation and non-natural sequence than those with larger spatial separation and natural sequence. Compared to the schema-based whine-chuck sequence, we propose that spatial cues have less variance, potentially explaining their preferred use when grouping during directional behavioral responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamilton E Farris
- Neuroscience Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA. .,Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA. .,Department of Otorhinolaryingology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
| | - Michael J Ryan
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, 1 University Station C0930, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama
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22
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Itatani N, Klump GM. Animal models for auditory streaming. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:rstb.2016.0112. [PMID: 28044022 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sounds in the natural environment need to be assigned to acoustic sources to evaluate complex auditory scenes. Separating sources will affect the analysis of auditory features of sounds. As the benefits of assigning sounds to specific sources accrue to all species communicating acoustically, the ability for auditory scene analysis is widespread among different animals. Animal studies allow for a deeper insight into the neuronal mechanisms underlying auditory scene analysis. Here, we will review the paradigms applied in the study of auditory scene analysis and streaming of sequential sounds in animal models. We will compare the psychophysical results from the animal studies to the evidence obtained in human psychophysics of auditory streaming, i.e. in a task commonly used for measuring the capability for auditory scene analysis. Furthermore, the neuronal correlates of auditory streaming will be reviewed in different animal models and the observations of the neurons' response measures will be related to perception. The across-species comparison will reveal whether similar demands in the analysis of acoustic scenes have resulted in similar perceptual and neuronal processing mechanisms in the wide range of species being capable of auditory scene analysis.This article is part of the themed issue 'Auditory and visual scene analysis'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoya Itatani
- Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all, Animal Physiology and Behaviour Group, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Georg M Klump
- Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all, Animal Physiology and Behaviour Group, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
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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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Kozak EC, Uetz GW. Cross-modal integration of multimodal courtship signals in a wolf spider. Anim Cogn 2016; 19:1173-1181. [PMID: 27557952 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-016-1025-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Revised: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Cross-modal integration, i.e., cognitive binding of information transmitted in more than one signal mode, is important in animal communication, especially in complex, noisy environments in which signals of many individuals may overlap. Males of the brush-legged wolf spider Schizocosa ocreata (Hentz) use multimodal communication (visual and vibratory signals) in courtship. Because females may be courted by multiple males at the same time, they must evaluate co-occurring male signals originating from separate locations. Moreover, due to environmental complexity, individual components of male signals may be occluded, altering detection of sensory modes by females. We used digital multimodal playback to investigate the effect of spatial and temporal disparity of visual and vibratory components of male courtship signals on female mate choice. Females were presented with male courtship signals with components that varied in spatial location or temporal synchrony. Females responded to spatially disparate signal components separated by ≥90° as though they were separate sources, but responded to disparate signals separated by ≤45° as though they originated from a single source. Responses were seen as evidence for cross-modal integration. Temporal disparity (asynchrony) in signal modes also affected female receptivity. Females responded more to male signals when visual and vibratory modes were in synchrony than either out-of-synch or interleaved/alternated. These findings are consistent with those seen in both humans and other vertebrates and provide insight into how animals overcome communication challenges inherent in a complex environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth C Kozak
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, P.O. Box 210006, Cincinnati, OH, 45221-0006, USA
| | - George W Uetz
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, P.O. Box 210006, Cincinnati, OH, 45221-0006, USA.
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25
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Job JR, Myers K, Naghshineh K, Gill SA. Uncovering Spatial Variation in Acoustic Environments Using Sound Mapping. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0159883. [PMID: 27467503 PMCID: PMC4965030 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals select and use habitats based on environmental features relevant to their ecology and behavior. For animals that use acoustic communication, the sound environment itself may be a critical feature, yet acoustic characteristics are not commonly measured when describing habitats and as a result, how habitats vary acoustically over space and time is poorly known. Such considerations are timely, given worldwide increases in anthropogenic noise combined with rapidly accumulating evidence that noise hampers the ability of animals to detect and interpret natural sounds. Here, we used microphone arrays to record the sound environment in three terrestrial habitats (forest, prairie, and urban) under ambient conditions and during experimental noise introductions. We mapped sound pressure levels (SPLs) over spatial scales relevant to diverse taxa to explore spatial variation in acoustic habitats and to evaluate the number of microphones needed within arrays to capture this variation under both ambient and noisy conditions. Even at small spatial scales and over relatively short time spans, SPLs varied considerably, especially in forest and urban habitats, suggesting that quantifying and mapping acoustic features could improve habitat descriptions. Subset maps based on input from 4, 8, 12 and 16 microphones differed slightly (< 2 dBA/pixel) from those based on full arrays of 24 microphones under ambient conditions across habitats. Map differences were more pronounced with noise introductions, particularly in forests; maps made from only 4-microphones differed more (> 4 dBA/pixel) from full maps than the remaining subset maps, but maps with input from eight microphones resulted in smaller differences. Thus, acoustic environments varied over small spatial scales and variation could be mapped with input from 4–8 microphones. Mapping sound in different environments will improve understanding of acoustic environments and allow us to explore the influence of spatial variation in sound on animal ecology and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob R. Job
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, United States of America
- * E-mail: (JRJ); (SAG)
| | - Kyle Myers
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, United States of America
| | - Koorosh Naghshineh
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, United States of America
| | - Sharon A. Gill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, United States of America
- * E-mail: (JRJ); (SAG)
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26
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Laird KL, Clements P, Hunter KL, Taylor RC. Multimodal signaling improves mating success in the green tree frog (Hyla cinerea), but may not help small males. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2160-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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27
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Gall MD, Wilczynski W. The effects of call-like masking diminish after nightly exposure to conspecific choruses in green treefrogs (Hyla cinerea). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 219:1295-302. [PMID: 26944493 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.135905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2015] [Accepted: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
One of the major difficulties encountered by animals that select mates using acoustic signals is discriminating individual calls from the background noise generated by other conspecifics. Reducing the effects of conspecific masking could improve discrimination of individual calls from background noise. We used auditory evoked potentials to investigate the effects of forward masking on the responses to artificial calls in male and female treefrogs (Hyla cinerea), as well as whether hearing advertisement calls over several nights, as happens in natural frog choruses, could modify the effects of masking. We found that response amplitude decreased with decreasing interstimulus interval when the masker was equal in amplitude to the stimulus. We also found evidence of a priming effect, whereby response amplitude at lower masker amplitudes was greater than when the target stimulus was not preceded by a masker. Finally, we found that the effect of masking was diminished by 10 nights of chorus exposure (i.e. responses were stronger to target stimuli), whereas there was no change in response in the control group. Our results show that hearing dynamic social stimuli, such as frog choruses, can alter the responses of the auditory periphery in a way that could enhance the detection of and response to conspecific acoustic communication signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan D Gall
- Biology Department, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604, USA
| | - Walter Wilczynski
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta 30303, GA, USA Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
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28
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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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29
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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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30
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Cline BB, Hunter ML. Movement in the matrix: substrates and distance‐to‐forest edge affect postmetamorphic movements of a forest amphibian. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Brittany B. Cline
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology University of Maine 5755 Nutting Hall Orono Maine 04469 USA
| | - Malcolm L. Hunter
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology University of Maine 5755 Nutting Hall Orono Maine 04469 USA
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31
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Baugh AT, Ryan MJ, Bernal XE, Rand AS, Bee MA. Female túngara frogs do not experience the continuity illusion. Behav Neurosci 2015; 130:62-74. [PMID: 26692450 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
In humans and some nonhuman vertebrates, a sound containing brief silent gaps can be rendered perceptually continuous by inserting noise into the gaps. This so-called "continuity illusion" arises from a phenomenon known as "auditory induction" and results in the perception of complete auditory objects despite fragmentary or incomplete acoustic information. Previous studies of auditory induction in gray treefrogs (Hyla versicolor and H. chrysoscelis) have demonstrated an absence of this phenomenon. These treefrog species produce pulsatile (noncontinuous) vocalizations, whereas studies of auditory induction in other taxa, including humans, often present continuous sounds (e.g., frequency-modulated sweeps). This study investigated the continuity illusion in a frog (Physalaemus pustulosus) with an advertisement vocalization that is naturally continuous and thus similar to the tonal sweeps used in human psychophysical studies of auditory induction. In a series of playback experiments, female subjects were presented with sets of stimuli that included complete calls, calls with silent gaps, and calls with silent gaps filled with noise. The results failed to provide evidence of auditory induction. Current evidence, therefore, suggests that mammals and birds experience auditory induction, but frogs may not. This emerging pattern of taxonomic differences is considered in light of potential methodological, neurophysiological, and functional explanations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael J Ryan
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin
| | | | | | - Mark A Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
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32
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Schrode KM, Bee MA. Evolutionary adaptations for the temporal processing of natural sounds by the anuran peripheral auditory system. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 218:837-48. [PMID: 25617467 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.115014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Sensory systems function most efficiently when processing natural stimuli, such as vocalizations, and it is thought that this reflects evolutionary adaptation. Among the best-described examples of evolutionary adaptation in the auditory system are the frequent matches between spectral tuning in both the peripheral and central auditory systems of anurans (frogs and toads) and the frequency spectra of conspecific calls. Tuning to the temporal properties of conspecific calls is less well established, and in anurans has so far been documented only in the central auditory system. Using auditory-evoked potentials, we asked whether there are species-specific or sex-specific adaptations of the auditory systems of gray treefrogs (Hyla chrysoscelis) and green treefrogs (H. cinerea) to the temporal modulations present in conspecific calls. Modulation rate transfer functions (MRTFs) constructed from auditory steady-state responses revealed that each species was more sensitive than the other to the modulation rates typical of conspecific advertisement calls. In addition, auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) to paired clicks indicated relatively better temporal resolution in green treefrogs, which could represent an adaptation to the faster modulation rates present in the calls of this species. MRTFs and recovery of ABRs to paired clicks were generally similar between the sexes, and we found no evidence that males were more sensitive than females to the temporal modulation patterns characteristic of the aggressive calls used in male-male competition. Together, our results suggest that efficient processing of the temporal properties of behaviorally relevant sounds begins at potentially very early stages of the anuran auditory system that include the periphery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina M Schrode
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Mark A Bee
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
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Ecology of acoustic signalling and the problem of masking interference in insects. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2014; 201:133-42. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-014-0955-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2014] [Revised: 10/01/2014] [Accepted: 10/11/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Caldwell MS, Bee MA. Spatial hearing in Cope's gray treefrog: I. Open and closed loop experiments on sound localization in the presence and absence of noise. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2014; 200:265-84. [PMID: 24504182 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-014-0882-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2013] [Revised: 01/19/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The ability to reliably locate sound sources is critical to anurans, which navigate acoustically complex breeding choruses when choosing mates. Yet, the factors influencing sound localization performance in frogs remain largely unexplored. We applied two complementary methodologies, open and closed loop playback trials, to identify influences on localization abilities in Cope's gray treefrog, Hyla chrysoscelis. We examined localization acuity and phonotaxis behavior of females in response to advertisement calls presented from 12 azimuthal angles, at two signal levels, in the presence and absence of noise, and at two noise levels. Orientation responses were consistent with precise localization of sound sources, rather than binary discrimination between sources on either side of the body (lateralization). Frogs were unable to discriminate between sounds arriving from forward and rearward directions, and accurate localization was limited to forward sound presentation angles. Within this region, sound presentation angle had little effect on localization acuity. The presence of noise and low signal-to-noise ratios also did not strongly impair localization ability in open loop trials, but females exhibited reduced phonotaxis performance consistent with impaired localization during closed loop trials. We discuss these results in light of previous work on spatial hearing in anurans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Caldwell
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Ecology 100, 1987 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA,
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Auditory brainstem responses in Cope's gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis): effects of frequency, level, sex and size. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2014; 200:221-38. [PMID: 24442647 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-014-0880-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2013] [Revised: 12/24/2013] [Accepted: 01/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Our knowledge of the hearing abilities of frogs and toads is largely defined by work with a few well-studied species. One way to further advance comparative work on anuran hearing would be greater use of minimally invasive electrophysiological measures, such as the auditory brainstem response (ABR). This study used the ABR evoked by tones and clicks to investigate hearing in Cope's gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis). The objectives were to characterize the effects of sound frequency, sound pressure level, and subject sex and body size on ABRs. The ABR in gray treefrogs bore striking resemblance to ABRs measured in other animals. As stimulus level increased, ABR amplitude increased and latency decreased, and for responses to tones, these effects depended on stimulus frequency. Frequency-dependent differences in ABRs were correlated with expected differences in the tuning of two sensory end organs in the anuran inner ear (the amphibian and basilar papillae). The ABR audiogram indicated two frequency regions of increased sensitivity corresponding to the expected tuning of the two papillae. Overall, there was no effect of subject size and only small effects related to subject sex. Together, these results indicate the ABR is an effective method to study audition in anurans.
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Bee MA. Treefrogs as animal models for research on auditory scene analysis and the cocktail party problem. Int J Psychophysiol 2014; 95:216-37. [PMID: 24424243 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2014.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2013] [Revised: 11/10/2013] [Accepted: 01/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The perceptual analysis of acoustic scenes involves binding together sounds from the same source and separating them from other sounds in the environment. In large social groups, listeners experience increased difficulty performing these tasks due to high noise levels and interference from the concurrent signals of multiple individuals. While a substantial body of literature on these issues pertains to human hearing and speech communication, few studies have investigated how nonhuman animals may be evolutionarily adapted to solve biologically analogous communication problems. Here, I review recent and ongoing work aimed at testing hypotheses about perceptual mechanisms that enable treefrogs in the genus Hyla to communicate vocally in noisy, multi-source social environments. After briefly introducing the genus and the methods used to study hearing in frogs, I outline several functional constraints on communication posed by the acoustic environment of breeding "choruses". Then, I review studies of sound source perception aimed at uncovering how treefrog listeners may be adapted to cope with these constraints. Specifically, this review covers research on the acoustic cues used in sequential and simultaneous auditory grouping, spatial release from masking, and dip listening. Throughout the paper, I attempt to illustrate how broad-scale, comparative studies of carefully considered animal models may ultimately reveal an evolutionary diversity of underlying mechanisms for solving cocktail-party-like problems in communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, 100 Ecology, 1987 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA.
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Vélez A, Linehan-Skillings BJ, Gu Y, Sun Y, Bee MA. Pulse-number discrimination by Cope's gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) in modulated and unmodulated noise. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2013; 134:3079-3089. [PMID: 24116442 PMCID: PMC3799699 DOI: 10.1121/1.4820883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2013] [Revised: 07/25/2013] [Accepted: 08/09/2013] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
In Cope's gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis), thresholds for recognizing conspecific calls are lower in temporally modulated noise backgrounds compared with unmodulated noise. The effect of modulated noise on discrimination among different conspecific calls is unknown. In quiet, females prefer calls with relatively more pulses. This study tested the hypotheses that noise impairs selectivity for longer calls and that processes akin to dip listening in modulated noise can ameliorate this impairment. In two-stimulus choice tests, female subjects were allowed to choose between an average-length call and a shorter or longer alternative. Tests were replicated at two signal levels in quiet and in the presence of chorus-shaped noise that was unmodulated, modulated by a sinusoid, or modulated by envelopes resembling natural choruses. When subjects showed a preference, it was always for the relatively longer call. Noise reduced preferences for longer calls, but the magnitude of this reduction was unrelated to whether the noise envelope was modulated or unmodulated. Together, the results are inconsistent with the hypothesis that dip listening improves a female gray treefrog's ability to select longer calls in modulated compared with unmodulated noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Vélez
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108
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Ward JL, Buerkle NP, Bee MA. Spatial release from masking improves sound pattern discrimination along a biologically relevant pulse-rate continuum in gray treefrogs. Hear Res 2013; 306:63-75. [PMID: 24055623 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2013.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2013] [Revised: 08/05/2013] [Accepted: 09/09/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Many frogs form large choruses during their mating season in which males produce loud advertisement calls to attract females and repel rival males. High background noise levels in these social aggregations can impair vocal perception. In humans, spatial release from masking contributes to our ability to understand speech in noisy social groups. Here, we tested the hypothesis that spatial separation between target signals and 'chorus-shaped noise' improves the ability of female gray treefrogs (Hyla chrysoscelis) to perform a behavioral discrimination task based on perceiving differences in the pulsatile structure of advertisement calls. We used two-stimulus choice tests to measure phonotaxis (approach toward sound) in response to calls differing in pulse rate along a biologically relevant continuum between conspecific (50 pulses s(-1)) and heterospecific (20 pulses s(-1)) calls. Signals were presented in quiet, in colocated noise, and in spatially separated noise. In quiet conditions, females exhibited robust preferences for calls with relatively faster pulse rates more typical of conspecific calls. Behavioral discrimination between calls differing in pulse rate was impaired in the presence of colocated noise but similar between quiet and spatially separated noise conditions. Our results indicate that spatial release from energetic masking facilitates a biologically important temporal discrimination task in frogs. We discuss these results in light of previous work on spatial release from masking in frogs and other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Ward
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, 100 Ecology, 1987 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
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Bee MA, Schwartz JJ, Summers K. All's well that begins Wells: celebrating 60 years of Animal Behaviour and 36 years of research on anuran social behaviour. Anim Behav 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Schuster S, Zollinger SA, Lesku JA, Brumm H. On the evolution of noise-dependent vocal plasticity in birds. Biol Lett 2012; 8:913-6. [PMID: 22977069 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2012.0676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Signal plasticity is considered an important step in the evolution of animal communication. In acoustic communication, signal transmission is often constrained by background noise. One adaptation to evade acoustic signal masking is the Lombard effect, in which an animal increases its vocal amplitude in response to an increase in background noise. This form of signal plasticity has been found in mammals, including humans, and some birds, but not frogs. However, the evolution of the Lombard effect is still unclear. Here we demonstrate for the first time the Lombard effect in a phylogentically basal bird species, the tinamou Eudromia elegans. By doing so, we take a step towards reconstructing the evolutionary history of noise-dependent vocal plasticity in birds. Similar to humans, the tinamous also raised their vocal pitch in noise, irrespective of any release from signal masking. The occurrence of the Lombard effect in a basal bird group suggests that this form of vocal plasticity was present in the common ancestor of all living birds and thus evolved at least as early as 119 Ma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Schuster
- Communication and Social Behaviour Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
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Bee MA, Vélez A, Forester JD. Sound level discrimination by gray treefrogs in the presence and absence of chorus-shaped noise. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2012; 131:4188-4195. [PMID: 22559390 PMCID: PMC3356323 DOI: 10.1121/1.3699271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2011] [Revised: 01/12/2012] [Accepted: 03/15/2012] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
An important aspect of hearing and acoustic communication is the ability to discriminate differences in sound level. Little is known about level discrimination in anuran amphibians (frogs and toads), for which vocal communication in noisy social environments is often critical for reproduction. This study used two-choice phonotaxis tests to investigate the ability of females of Cope's gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) to discriminate between two advertisement calls differing only in sound pressure level by 2, 4, or 6 dB. Tests were conducted in the presence and absence of chorus-shaped noise (73 dB) and using two different ranges of signal levels (73-79 dB and 79-85 dB). Females discriminated between two signals differing by as little as 2-4 dB. In contrast to expectations based on the "near miss to Weber's law" in birds and mammals, level discrimination was slightly better at the lower range of signal amplitudes, a finding consistent with earlier studies of frogs and insects. Realistic levels of background noise simulating a breeding chorus had no discernable effect on discrimination at the sound level differences tested in this study. These results have important implications for studies of auditory masking and signaling behavior in the contexts of anuran hearing and sound communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, 100 Ecology, 1987 Upper Buford Circle, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA.
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