Open AccessAccessory pathway for sound transfer in a neotropical frog.
Author(s) -
Peter M. Narins,
Gunther Ehret,
Jürgen Tautz
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.85.5.1508
Subject(s) - decibel , acoustics , sound (geography) , anatomy , sound pressure , eardrum , arboreal locomotion , biology , physics , ecology , habitat
A portion of the lateral body wall overlying the lung cavity of the arboreal frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui, vibrates in response to free-field sound. Peak displacement amplitude of the body wall in response to a natural call note presented at 73 decibels sound pressure level is 1.70 X 10(-9) m, roughly 8 decibels less than that of the ipsilateral eardrum, as measured by laser Doppler vibrometry. We show that the vibration magnitude varies predictably across the body profile and is posture and frequency dependent. Two routes to the inner ear are described for sounds impinging on the body wall; either of these accessory pathways could modify direct input from the peripheral auditory system and enhance sound localization in these small vertebrates.