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  • A broad filter between call frequency and peripheral auditory sensitivity in northern grasshopper mice (Onychomys leucogaster)
Title: A broad filter between call frequency and peripheral auditory sensitivity in northern grasshopper mice (Onychomys leucogaster)
Acoustic communication is a fundamental component of mate and competitor recognition in a variety of taxa and requires animals to detect and differentiate among acoustic stimuli (Bradbury and Vehrencamp 2011). The matched filter hypothesis predicts a correspondence between peripheral auditory tuning of receivers and properties of species-specific acoustic signals, but few studies have assessed this relationship in rodents. We recorded vocalizations and measured auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) in northern grasshopper mice (Onychomys leucogaster), a species that produces long-distance calls to advertise their presence to rivals and potential mates. ABR data indicate the highest sensitivity (28.33 9.07 dB SPL re: 20 Pa) at 10 kHz, roughly corresponding to the fundamental frequency (11.6 ± 0.63 kHz) of longdistance calls produced by conspecifics. However, the frequency range of peripheral auditory sensitivity was broad (8-24 kHz), indicating the potential to detect both the harmonics of conspecific calls and vocalizations of sympatric heterospecifics. Our findings provide support for the matched filter hypothesis extended to include other ecologically relevant stimuli. Our study contributes important baseline information about the sensory ecology of a unique rodent to the study of sound perception.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1755429
PAR ID:
10100069
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Journal of Comparative Physiology A
ISSN:
0340-7594
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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