Neural processing of acoustic signals in a model system: evolutionary changes in a conserved neural circuit

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The behavior of animals is the product of their nervous systems. In insects, specific neurons and neural circuits have been shown to mediate specific behaviors. Yet behavior differs between individuals of a single species as well as between closely related species. An important issue in neuroethology is to understand how the operation of neural circuits differs between behaviorally different individuals. I propose to address this question using the acoustic behavior and neurobiology of crickets as a model system. Two features of acoustic signals, carrier frequency and the temporal pattern of amplitude modulation, form the basis for identifying sounds produced by predators (echolocating bats) and conspecifics. Several neurons, identifiable by anatomy and physiology as unique cells, are recognizable across individuals and across species and are implicated in behavioral responses to cricket songs and bat calls. I will use a comparative approach to identify those features of neural circuitry that are modified through evolution and/or through development to generate behavioral differences.