Towards an Understanding of the Neural Basis of Acoustic Communication in Crickets

Hedwig, Berthold

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-40462-7_8

Cited by 11 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…While the carrier frequency of field cricket calling songs are generally similar, the temporal patterning of sound pulses is species-specific (Gerhardt and Huber, 2002). In addition to differences in pulse rates, cricket songs also differ in the fine scale temporal structure of sound pulses (i.e., pulse durations and the interval between pulses) and larger scale temporal organization of sound pulses into chirps and gaps between and within trills (Hedwig, 2014). In the current experiments, we examined pulse rate preferences in test songs by manipulating pulse durations and intervals by equal amounts to maintain a 50% duty cycle.…”

Section: Developing a Phonotaxis Performance Index To Capture Signal mentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing a Phonotaxis Performance Index to Uncover Signal Selectivity in Walking Phonotaxis

et al. 2019

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Any sensory strategies that prey take to avoid eavesdropping predators will depend on the behavioral decisions of eavesdroppers. As these decisions are guided by the sensory processing of communication signals, accurate measurements of sensorimotor output will provide insights into signal preferences, parameters evaluated for signal recognition, and the perceptual and cognitive capacity of receivers. A number of techniques have been proposed for measuring walking phonotaxis (and taxis behavior more generally). Consistent limitations of such measures are (1) that some animals cannot discriminate alternative signals when they occur simultaneously (i.e., overlapping in the spectral and temporal domain), or (2) some animals respond with low selectivity to stimuli presented in isolation, and (3) identifying appropriate dimensions of response variability is not straightforward. Here we document an approach to develop a sensitive phonotaxis performance index to quantify pulse rate selectivity in two distinct populations of the acoustic parasitoid fly Ormia ochracea. Using a spherical treadmill to measure tethered walking phonotaxis, we examined the ability of flies to track a switch in the broadcast location of test songs with varying pulse-rates. By applying an information-theoretic approach, we identified a set of response parameters that best predict a previously described pulse-rate preference. These parameters were incorporated into an index to describe temporal pattern selectivity during walking phonotaxis. Our study also revealed that in Floridian Ormia ochracea, the pulse rate preference function is not affected by the locomotor mode (walking vs. flying) used in phonotaxis. Furthermore, we describe for the first time, pulse rate selectivity in Californian Ormia ochracea. Both populations have pulse rate preference functions with peak selectivity between 50 and 60 Pulses/s (pps). Previous studies demonstrating natural differences in host song preferences (Floridian O. ochracea preferring Gryllus rubens and Californian O. ochracea preferring Gryllus lineaticeps calling songs) may be based on other temporal parameters aside from pulse rate. Finally, we discuss the advantages and limitations of our approach in quantifying signal selectivity. This approach can be applied broadly to study signal preferences in other acoustic parasitoid flies and potentially other eavesdroppers that exhibit taxis behaviors in response to the communication signals of prey.

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Section: Developing a Phonotaxis Performance Index To Capture Signal mentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing a Phonotaxis Performance Index to Uncover Signal Selectivity in Walking Phonotaxis

et al. 2019

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“…So far, we have not been able to pin cricket song rhythm variation down to individual genes. However, the neurobiology of the cricket song generation is generally well understood, involving contributions from descending brain neurons, specialized motor neurons in the thorax called central pattern generators, and related neuromuscular modulators such as ion channels and synaptic targets [ 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 ]. Therefore, other organisms with known genetic and neurological pathways that drive sex-specific and (acoustic) courtship behaviors can shed light on the potential mechanisms at play in Laupala song divergence.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Genetics of a Behavioral Speciation Phenotype in an Island System

Blankers

Shaw

2018

Genes

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Mating behavior divergence can make significant contributions to reproductive isolation and speciation in various biogeographic contexts. However, whether the genetic architecture underlying mating behavior divergence is related to the biogeographic history and the tempo and mode of speciation remains poorly understood. Here, we use quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping to infer the number, distribution, and effect size of mating song rhythm variations in the crickets Laupala eukolea and Laupala cerasina, which occur on different islands (Maui and Hawaii). We then compare these results with a similar study of an independently evolving species pair that diverged within the same island. Finally, we annotate the L. cerasina transcriptome and test whether the QTL fall in functionally enriched genomic regions. We document a polygenic architecture behind the song rhythm divergence in the inter-island species pair that is remarkably similar to that previously found for an intra-island species pair in the same genus. Importantly, the QTL regions were significantly enriched for potential homologs of the genes involved in pathways that may be modulating the cricket song rhythm. These clusters of loci could constrain the spatial genomic distribution of the genetic variation underlying the cricket song variation and harbor several candidate genes that merit further study.

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“…At a proximate level, whether crickets call or not is controlled in the brain [5], which activates a central pattern generator distributed along thoracic [6] and abdominal [7] ganglia, which in turn control the rhythmic movements of the forewings and determine the temporal structure of the call [8]. A single pulse of sound is produced on the closing wingstroke, a silent inter-pulse interval on the opening wingstroke; series of pulses are called chirps or trills.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Induced expression of a vestigial sexual signal

et al. 2018

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Vestigial morphological traits are common and well known in a variety of taxa. Identification of vestigial genes has illustrated the potential for evolutionary reversals and the re-expression of atavistic traits. Here we induce expression of a behavioural sexual signal, male calling song, in a cricket species, which lacks a functional calling song. We successfully used acetylcholine injections in the frontal space of the head of male crickets to activate cerebral command neurons for cricket calling, and we recorded calling songs with a temporal chirp pattern similar to that of' close evolutionary relatives, and, implying that the neural pattern generators that underlie cricket calling behaviour persist in a vestigial state in To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the induced expression of a vestigial behaviour in any organism. The retention of latent neural capacity to express sexual behaviours could have important implications for rapid evolution, trait re-emergence and reproductive isolation.

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Towards an Understanding of the Neural Basis of Acoustic Communication in Crickets

Cited by 11 publications

References 71 publications

Developing a Phonotaxis Performance Index to Uncover Signal Selectivity in Walking Phonotaxis

Developing a Phonotaxis Performance Index to Uncover Signal Selectivity in Walking Phonotaxis

The Genetics of a Behavioral Speciation Phenotype in an Island System

Induced expression of a vestigial sexual signal

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