Some Aspects of the Auditory Pathway and Audition in the European Mole, &lt;i&gt;Talpa europaea&lt;/i&gt;

Aitkin, Lindsay; Horseman, B.G.; Bush, Brian

doi:10.1159/000121616

Cited by 30 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Drumming and listening behaviors of Spalax (Ratio et al 1987), the predominantly low frequency components (below 1 kHz) of the vibration signals of Spalax (Heth et al 1987), low frequency (less than 2.0 kHz) sound sensitivities of Spalax ), Cryptomys (Burda et al 1988;MueUer and Burda 1989), Dipodomys (Rupert and Moushegian 1970), and Talpa (Aitkin et al 1982), and ear architecture in Spalax ) and heteromyids Webster 1972, 1980) corroborate this evidence for seismic communication.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Seismic signal transmission between burrows of the Cape mole-rat, Georychus capensis

et al. 1992

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Both seismic and auditory signals were tested for their propagation characteristics in a field study of the Cape mole-rat (Georychus capensis), a subterranean rodent in the family Bathyergidae. This solitary animal is entirely fossorial and apparently communicates with its conspecifics by alternately drumming its hind legs on the burrow floor. Signal production in this species is sexually dimorphic, and mate attraction is likely mediated primarily by seismic signalling between individuals in neighboring burrows. Measurements within, and at various distances away from, natural burrows suggest that seismic signals propagate at least an order of magnitude better than auditory signals. Moreover, using a mechanical thumper which could be triggered from a tape recording of the mole-rat's seismic signals, we established that the vertically-polarized surface wave (Rayleigh wave) propagates with less attenuation than either of the two horizontally-polarized waves. Thus, we tentatively hypothesize that Rayleigh waves subserve intraspecific communication in this species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Seismic signal transmission between burrows of the Cape mole-rat, Georychus capensis

et al. 1992

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“…All birds and some amphibians, reptiles and mammals (Schwartzkopff 1963;Strother 1959;Wever and Vernon 1957;Aitkin et al 1982;Coles et al 1982) have a direct air cavity between the ears.…”

Section: Interaural Canal and Directional Hearingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coding of sound location and frequency in the auditory midbrain of diurnal birds of prey, families accipitridae and falconidae

1985

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Summary. The coding of sound frequency and location in the avian auditory midbrain nucleus (nMLD) was examined in three diurnal raptors: the brown falcon (Falco berigora), the swamp harrier (Circus aeruginosus) and the brown goshawk (Accipiter fasciatus). Previously this nucleus has been studied with free field stimuli in only one other species, the barn owl (Tyto alba).We found some parallels between the organisation of nMLD in the diurnal raptors and that reported in the barn owl in that the central region of nMLD was tonotopically organised and contained cells that did not encode location, and the lateral region (nMLD1) contained cells which were sensitive to stimulus position. However, unlike the barn owl, which has units with circumscribed receptive fields, cells sensitive to stimulus location had large receptive fields which were restricted in azimuth but not in elevation (hemifield units). Such cells could not provide an acoustic space map in which both azimuthal and elevational dimensions were represented, but there was a tendency for units with contralateral borders to be found superficially, and those with ipsilateral borders to be found deep, in nMLD1. Hemifield units displayed receptive field properties consistent with the directional properties of the tympana in the presence of sound transmission through the interaural canal, if there is a central mechanism which is sensitive to interaural intensity differences.

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“…This was not found in the mole Talpa by Nummela (1995), but further direct comparison of ossicular masses with other species has apparently not been undertaken. Cuvier (1817) remarked on the large tympanic membrane area of Talpa, an observation that has been echoed by others (Wilkie, 1925;Fleischer, 1978;Aitkin, Horseman & Bush, 1982). The tympanic membrane and stapes footplate areas of fossorial rodents and insectivores were compared with those of grounddwelling species by Burda, Bruns & Hickman (1992).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Middle ear structures in fossorial mammals: a comparison with non‐fossorial species

Mason

2001

Journal of Zoology

135

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A large data set, comprising certain measurements of middle ear structures in mammals, was compiled both from measurements made by the author and from the literature. Parameters of the middle ear apparatus believed to be important to audition were compared between fossorial and non-fossorial species, in an attempt to identify general trends among fossorial groups. Although their tympanic membranes are not of unusual size, many fossorial mammals possess enlarged stapes footplate areas, resulting in low anatomical area ratios. Low anatomical lever ratios are also common, and the reduction or loss of middle ear muscles seems to be a consistent trend. These characteristics might be associated with poor sensitivity to airborne sound. Other features of the middle ear apparatus are more variable both between and within fossorial families. The middle ear ossicles of fossorial rodents, talpid moles and some golden moles were not found to differ in mass from those of non-fossorial mammals of similar body size. The similar ossicular morphologies of these animals suggest convergent adaptation towards a subterranean environment, but the middle ear structure alone does not seem to explain the restricted hearing range observed in certain of these species. Some genera of golden moles possess extraordinarily hypertrophied auditory ossicles, which, relative to body mass, are the largest of all mammals for which data are available. These ossicles seem to be adaptations towards a form of inertial bone conduction, used for the detection of substrate vibrations. In stark contrast, the marsupial mole Notoryctes has particularly small ossicles. The unusual middle ear structures of this animal may well be degenerate.

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Some Aspects of the Auditory Pathway and Audition in the European Mole, <i>Talpa europaea</i>

Cited by 30 publications

References 9 publications

Seismic signal transmission between burrows of the Cape mole-rat, Georychus capensis

Seismic signal transmission between burrows of the Cape mole-rat, Georychus capensis

Coding of sound location and frequency in the auditory midbrain of diurnal birds of prey, families accipitridae and falconidae

Middle ear structures in fossorial mammals: a comparison with non‐fossorial species

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