High frequency auditory sensitivity in birds

鸟类的高频听觉敏感性

• 批准号: 6620222
• 负责人: BERNARD S LOHR
• 金额: $ 7.41万
• 依托单位: UNIV OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2002
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2002-01-15 至 2004-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6620222
• 关键词: Aves; animal communication behavior; auditory stimulus; auditory threshold; behavior test; evoked potentials; evolution; hearing; morphology; neural plasticity; psychoacoustics; songbirds; sound frequency; sound perception; vocalization

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.

描述（由申请人提供）：本研究的目标是推进 理解听力的局限性，多样性和比较方面 在鸟类中。对鸟类听觉敏感性的研究提供了一些 深入了解脊椎动物听觉的一般机制。鸟 听觉在许多方面与人类相似， 人类听觉的某些方面。然而，有重要的 差异人们早就知道，大多数鸟类的高频率有限， 听证会考虑到鸟类和人类听力之间的比较，这是 重要的是要知道鸟类听觉的局限性的全部范围 敏感性，以便进行准确的平行和对比。这 这项工作旨在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种互补的途径， 调查，整合（1）行为和（2）生理方法， 评估鸟类的听觉灵敏度， 通信信号。本申请的具体目的是检查 听觉能力与种属特异性交流信号的关系 在鸟类中，其次是探索系统发育谱系的影响， 身体大小对鸟类听觉系统灵敏度的影响。结果 建议的实验将提高我们的知识之间的关系， 习得的声学通信信号和听觉的发声 perception.在第一系列实验中，操作性辨别测试和 采用听觉诱发电位的生理测试将用于测量 麻雀的基本听觉能力，只产生高频（> 6 kHz）的声音。这些发声的频率区域， 鸟类，包括相关物种，听力不好。结果将提供 关于一群鸟听觉能力可塑性的信息 具有极其多样化的发声，并将指导未来的研究， 潜在的限制强加于鸟类的行为之间的声音匹配 结构和听觉能力。在一系列平行的实验中， 脑干反应（ABR）将用于测量听力， 蜂鸟作为发展心理物理学方法的前奏。蜂鸟是 世界上最小的鸟类，它们的听觉完全没有被研究过。 此外，它们表现出像鸣禽一样的声音学习能力，但它们是 与鸣禽在遗传学上无关。结果从这第二组 因此，实验将为我们的一般比较提供有价值的补充。 了解鸟类的听觉能力，大小与听觉的关系， 能力，以及发声与听觉感知的关系。