Sensory Constraints on Signal Evolution in an Acoustic Communication System

了解动物感觉处理的机制、表现和限制对于理解形成交流系统的进化机制是很重要的。相反，要对感觉系统和大脑功能提出有见地的问题，就需要了解进化背景。昆虫的交配叫声提供了一个很好的例子，说明在复杂的声学环境中，应答者和应答者必须如何进化，以优化从发送者到接收者的信号的声学特征的使用。 该项目利用了四个密切相关的Katydid物种的声音通信中的呼叫频率（音高）的变化，其中载波频率在物种之间变化很大，并且占据了具有显着不同声学特性的栖息地。朝向呼叫的定向行为测量与一个强大的工具的步行补偿器，它监视一个步行昆虫的转向时间和频谱的声音模式识别线索的作用进行评估。 识别的听觉神经元的细胞内记录被用来评估神经元的编码策略的声学信号模式。 结果将整合信号处理的机制和进化方面，以进一步了解感觉系统和信号进化的相互依赖性。 该项目的更广泛影响还包括启动年轻调查员的职业生涯，以及多学科的研究生和本科生培训。

It is important to know the mechanisms, performance and limits of sensory processing by animals to understand the evolutionary mechanisms forming a communication system. Conversely, knowledge of the evolutionary context is required to pose insightful questions about sensory systems and brain function. The mating calls of insects provide an excellent example of how the senders and responders have to evolve to optimize uses of acoustic features of the signal from sender to the receiver in complex acoustic environments. This project exploits the variety in the call frequency (pitch) in acoustic communication in four closely related species of katydid, in which the carrier frequencies vary significantly between species, and which occupy habitats with significantly different acoustic properties. Orientation behavior toward a call is measured with a powerful tool of a walking compensator, which monitors the turning of a walking insect to evaluate the role of temporal and spectral sound pattern recognition cues. Intracellular recording of identified auditory neurons is used to evaluate neuronal encoding strategies for acoustic signal patterns. Results will integrate mechanistic and evolutionary aspects of signal processing to further understand the interdependence of sensory systems and signal evolution. Broader impacts of this project also include launching a young investigator's career, and multidisciplinary graduate and undergraduate training.