High frequency auditory sensitivity in birds

描述(由申请人提供)：本研究的目标是推动 理解听力的局限性、多样性和可比性 在鸟类身上。对鸟类听觉敏感性的研究提供了许多 对脊椎动物更普遍的听力机制的洞察。鸟 听力在许多方面与人类相似，并作为一种有用的 人类听力的某些方面的模型。然而，有一些重要的因素 不同之处。人们早就知道，大多数鸟类的高频都是有限的。 听证。考虑到鸟的听觉和人类的听觉之间的比较，它是 重要的是要全面了解鸟类听觉的局限性 敏感度，以便进行准确的对比和对比。这 工作的目的是填补我们对听觉的理解中的几个空白 鸟类的敏感性。所采取的方法融合了两个互补的途径 探究，(1)行为学和(2)生理学方法的结合 评估使用高频声学技术的鸟类的听觉灵敏度 通信信号。这个应用程序的具体目标是检查 听觉能力与物种特有通讯信号的关系 在鸟类中，其次是探索系统发育谱系和 体型对鸟类听觉系统敏感度的影响。调查结果： 拟议中的实验将增强我们对 学习的声学通信信号的发声和听觉 感知力。在第一系列实验中，操作员辨别测试和 使用听觉诱发电位的生理测试将被用来测量 只产生高频的麻雀的基本听力(&gt；6 KHz)声音。这些发声是在大多数其他较小的频率区域 鸟类，包括相关物种，听力不好。结果将提供 关于一群鸟类听力可塑性的信息 具有极其多样化的发声方式，并将指导未来对 发声和发声之间的匹配对鸟类行为施加的潜在限制 结构和听力。在一系列平行的实验中，听觉 脑干反应(ABR)将用于测量患者的听力 蜂鸟作为发展心理物理方法的前奏。蜂鸟是 世界上最小的鸟类，它们的听力完全没有被研究过。 此外，它们表现出像鸣禽一样的发声学习，但它们是 与鸣禽没有亲缘关系。第二组数据的结果 因此，实验将为我们的总体比较提供一个有价值的补充 关于鸟类听觉能力的知识，大小与听力的关系 能力，以及发声与听觉知觉的关系。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this research is to advance the understanding of the limitations, diversity, and comparative aspects of hearing in birds. The study of avian auditory sensitivity has provided a number of insights into the more general mechanisms of hearing in vertebrates. Bird hearing is similar to that of humans in many respects and has served as a useful model for some aspects of human hearing. However, there are important differences. It has long been known that most birds have limited high frequency hearing. Given the comparisons made between bird and human hearing, it is important to know the full extent of the limitations of avian auditory sensitivities in order for accurate parallels and contrasts to be made. This work is intended to fill several gaps in our understanding of the auditory sensitivity of birds. The approach taken blends two complementary avenues of inquiry, the integration of (1) behavioral and (2) physiological methods for evaluating the auditory sensitivity of birds that use high-frequency acoustic communication signals. The specific aims of this application are to examine the relationship between hearing ability and species-specific communication signals in birds, and secondarily to explore the effects of phylogenetic lineage and body size on sensitivity of the auditory system in birds. Results from the proposed experiments will enhance our knowledge of the relationship between the vocal production of learned acoustic communication signals and auditory perception. In the first series of experiments, operant discrimination tests and physiological tests employing auditory evoked potentials will be used to measure basic hearing abilities in sparrows that produce exclusively high frequency (> 6 kHz) sounds. These vocalizations are in frequency regions that most other small birds, including related species, do not hear well. Results will provide information regarding the plasticity of hearing abilities in a group of birds with extremely diverse vocalizations and will direct future research on the potential limitations imposed on a bird's behavior by the match between vocal structure and hearing ability. In a parallel series of experiments, the auditory brainstem response (ABR) will be used to measure hearing abilities in hummingbirds as a prelude to developing psychophysical methods. Hummingbirds are the world's smallest birds and their hearing is completely unstudied. Furthermore, they exhibit vocal learning as in songbirds, but they are phylogenetically unrelated to songbirds. Results from this second set of experiments would thus provide a valuable addition to our general comparative knowledge about auditory abilities in birds, the relationship of size to hearing ability, and the relationship of vocal production to auditory perception.