ISSN:
1432-1351
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
Notes:
Summary Spectral and amplitude features of the advertisement call of male spring peeper tree frogs (Hyla crucifer) were analyzed and compared to the physiological characteristics of the peripheral auditory system in both males and females determined by single unit electrophysiological recording in the VIIIth cranial nerve. The call is a very simple, nearly tonal signal with a single spectral peak (mean for the population = 2,895 Hz) and little or no harmonic or internal temporal structure. The electrophysiological results show two populations of auditory fibers in the VIIIth nerve with characteristics similar to those in other anurans. One population, presumably from the amphibian papilla, contains units tuned below 1,200 Hz. A second, high frequency population is also present, and presumably arises from the basilar papilla (BP). A sexual dimorphism is apparent in the tuning of BP units. Female BP's are tuned between 2,100 and 3,700 Hz (X= 2,939 Hz) while male BP's are tuned between 3,350 and 4,000 Hz (X= 3,580). Thus in this species the advertisement call is detected only by the basilar papilla. The BP of females is tuned to the call while the male BP is mismatched. Males can still detect the call with the lower flanks of their BP tuning curves, however, but the detection threshold will be much higher than in the females. Therefore the male advertisement call will be far more audible to females than to males.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00610843
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