Document Detail


Sound transmission and the recognition of temporally degraded sexual advertisement signals in Cope's gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis).
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20675554     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Acoustic communication signals degrade as they propagate between signalers and receivers. While we generally understand the degrading effects of sound propagation on the structure of acoustic signals, we know considerably less about how receivers make behavioral decisions based on the perception of degraded signals in sonically and structurally complex habitats where communication occurs. In this study of acoustic mate recognition in Cope's gray treefrog, Hyla chrysoscelis (Cope 1880), we investigated how the temporal structure of male advertisement calls was compromised by propagation in a natural habitat and how females responded to stimuli mimicking various levels of temporal degradation. In a sound transmission experiment, we quantified changes in the pulsed structure of signals by broadcasting synthetic calls during active choruses from positions where we typically encountered signalers, and re-recording the signals from positions where we typically encountered potential receivers. Our main finding was that the silent gaps between pulses become increasingly 'filled in' by background noise and reverberations as a function of increasing propagation distance. We also conducted female phonotaxis experiments to determine the threshold modulation depth required to elicit recognition of the pulsatile structure of the call. Females were surprisingly tolerant of degraded temporal structure, and there was a tendency for greater permissiveness at lower playback levels. We discuss these results in terms of presumed mechanisms of call recognition in complex environments and the acoustic adaptation hypothesis.
Authors:
Michael C Kuczynski; Alejandro Vélez; Joshua J Schwartz; Mark A Bee
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.    
Journal Detail:
Title:  The Journal of experimental biology     Volume:  213     ISSN:  1477-9145     ISO Abbreviation:  J. Exp. Biol.     Publication Date:  2010 Aug 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-08-02     Completed Date:  2010-11-10     Revised Date:  2011-08-25    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0243705     Medline TA:  J Exp Biol     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  2840-50     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, St Paul, MN 55108, USA.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Acoustic Stimulation
Animals
Ecosystem
Female
Male
Random Allocation
Ranidae / physiology*
Sexual Behavior, Animal / physiology*
Sound*
Sound Spectrography
Time Factors
Vocalization, Animal / physiology*
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
DC008396/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS; DC009582/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS
Comments/Corrections

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