High channel count microphone array accurately and precisely localizes ultrasonic signals from freely-moving mice

Warren, Megan R.; Sangiamo, Daniel T.; Neunuebel, Joshua P.

doi:10.1016/j.jneumeth.2017.12.013

Cited by 23 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…A sound source localization system was used to assign vocal signals to individual mice 47 . For each signal, the system computed eight individual estimates of where the sound originated.…”

Section: Sound Source Localizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ultrashort-range, high-frequency communication by female mice shapes social interactions

Warren

Clein

Spurrier

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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Animals engage in complex social encounters that influence social groups and resource allocation. During these encounters, acoustic signals, used at both short and long ranges, play pivotal roles in regulating the behavior of conspecifics. Mice, for instance, emit ultrasonic vocalizations, signals above the range of human hearing, during close-range social interactions. How these signals shape behavior, however, is unknown due to the difficulty in discerning which mouse in a group is vocalizing. To overcome this impediment, we used an eight-channel microphone array system to determine which mouse emitted individual vocal signals during 30 minutes of unrestrained social interaction between a female and a single male or female conspecific. Females modulated both the timing and context of vocal emission based upon their social partner. Compared to opposite-sex pairings, females in samesex pairs vocalized when closer to a social partner and later in the 30 minutes of social engagement. Remarkably, we found that female mice exhibited no immediate changes in acceleration (movement) to male-emitted vocal signals. Both males and females, in contrast, modulated their behavior following female-emitted vocal signals in a context-dependent manner. Thus, our results suggest female vocal signals function as a means of ultrashort-range communication that shapes mouse social behavior. Acoustic signaling is a vital means of both intra-and inter-species communication across the animal kingdom, allowing the transfer of information without limitations of light availability or physical proximity between individuals 1,2. Unlike other communication modalities, acoustic communication is effective over a wide range of distances, and vocalizations are often grouped into two categories: short-and long-range signals 3. Short-range sounds are emitted by most species that vocalize (e.g., marmosets 4 , rats 5 , and moths 6), often used for interpersonal communication and to promote social cohesion 7,8. Long-range signals, while not ubiquitous, are common across the animal kingdom (e.g., wolves 9 , whales 10 , and birds 11). These signals are generally used to warn others, communicate with distant members, or indicate territoriality 9,12,13. Research on long-distance calling often focuses on males 14,15 , even though many species show long-range calling from both sexes 16-19. In some species, females actually emit more long-distance calls than males 20,21. Female elephants, for instance, are more vocal than males and emit long-range calls to communicate with social partners 22. These signals are believed to facilitate social recognition over great distances 23. However, in many animal species the function and range of female-emitted signals is less clear. In mice, the propagation and behavioral impact of female-emitted signals is less established. Adult mice (Mus musculus), while predominately silent in isolation 24 , emit ultrasonic vocalizations, signals spanning 30-110 kHz in frequency 25 , during aggressive and affiliative behaviors 26-30. ...

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“…A sound source localization system was used to assign vocal signals to individual mice 47 . For each signal, the system computed eight individual estimates of where the sound originated.…”

Section: Sound Source Localizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, to overcome this issue, we have implemented an eight-channel microphone array system 47 , allowing us to localize the source of ultrasonic vocal signals. This technology, in conjunction with video tracking software 48 , allows us to track the social and vocal behavior of individual animals over time.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultrashort-range, high-frequency communication by female mice shapes social interactions

Warren

Clein

Spurrier

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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“…Specific phases of courtship interactions trigger different call types (Hanson and Hurley, 2012;Nyby, 1983). Triangulation has been used to determine the emitter of the USVs (Warren et al, 2018a). In a group of four adult mice (two males and two females, aged 3-5 months)…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spontaneous social communication in laboratory mice - placing ultrasonic vocalizations in their behavioral context

Chaumont

Bourgeron

2020

Preprint

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AbstractIn their natural habitat, mice interact and communicate to regulate major functions, such as reproduction, group coordination, and protection. Nevertheless, little is currently known about their spontaneous emission of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), despite their broad use as a phenotypic marker in mouse models of neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we investigated mouse spontaneous communication by coupling automatic recording, segmentation, and analysis of USVs to the tracking of complex behaviors. We continuously recorded undisturbed same-sex pairs of C57BL/6J males and females at 5 weeks and 3 and 7 months of age over three days. Males emitted only a few short USVs, mainly when isolated from their conspecific, whereas females emitted a high number of USVs, especially when engaged in intense dynamic social interactions. The context-specific use of call types and acoustic variations emerged with increasing age. The emission of USVs also reflected a high level of excitement in social interactions. Finally, mice lacking Shank3, a synaptic protein associated with autism, displayed atypical USV usage and acoustic structure, which did not appear in classical protocols, highlighting the importance of studying spontaneous communication. The methods are freely available for the research community (https://usv.pasteur.cloud).

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“…While Neunuebel et al [ 20 ] showed that female mice vocalize when males are present, a systematic comparison between vocalizations emitted by males and females as the animals were freely interacting was never conducted. Consequently, we employed an eight-channel microphone array [ 36 ] to track vocal behavior of individual mice ( Mus Musculus ) during unrestrained opposite-sex dyadic interactions and directly compared the vocal activity of males and females across specific behavioral contexts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex differences in vocal communication of freely interacting adult mice depend upon behavioral context

et al. 2018

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Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) are believed to play a critical role in mouse communication. Although mice produce USVs in multiple contexts, signals emitted in reproductive contexts are typically attributed solely to the male mouse. Only recently has evidence emerged showing that female mice are also vocally active during mixed-sex interactions. Therefore, this study aimed to systematically quantify and compare vocalizations emitted by female and male mice as the animals freely interacted. Using an eight-channel microphone array to determine which mouse emitted specific vocalizations during unrestrained social interaction, we recorded 13 mixed-sex pairs of mice. We report here that females vocalized significantly less often than males during dyadic interactions, with females accounting for approximately one sixth of all emitted signals. Moreover, the acoustic features of female and male signals differed. We found that the bandwidths (i.e., the range of frequencies that a signal spanned) of female-emitted signals were smaller than signals produced by males. When examining how the frequency of each signal changed over time, the slopes of male-emitted signals decreased more rapidly than female signals. Further, we revealed notable differences between male and female vocal signals when the animals were performing the same behaviors. Our study provides evidence that a female mouse does in fact vocalize during interactions with a male and that the acoustic features of female and male vocalizations differ during specific behavioral contexts.

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High channel count microphone array accurately and precisely localizes ultrasonic signals from freely-moving mice

Cited by 23 publications

References 56 publications

Ultrashort-range, high-frequency communication by female mice shapes social interactions

Ultrashort-range, high-frequency communication by female mice shapes social interactions

Spontaneous social communication in laboratory mice - placing ultrasonic vocalizations in their behavioral context

Sex differences in vocal communication of freely interacting adult mice depend upon behavioral context

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