scholarly journals Growling from the gut: co-option of the gastric mill for acoustic communication in ghost crabs

2019 ◽  
Vol 286 (1910) ◽  
pp. 20191161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer R. A. Taylor ◽  
Maya S. deVries ◽  
Damian O. Elias
Keyword(s):  
Acoustic Communication ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Sound Production ◽  
Gastric Mill ◽  
Acoustic Characteristics ◽  
Aggressive Interactions ◽  
Ocypode Quadrata ◽  
Ghost Crabs ◽  
Morphological Novelties ◽  
Dominant Frequencies

Animal acoustic communication systems can be built upon co-opted structures that become specialized for sound production or morphological novelties. The ghost crab, Ocypode quadrata , evolved a novel stridulation apparatus on the claws that is used during agonistic interactions, but they also produce a rasping sound without their claw apparatus. We investigated the nature of these sounds and show that O. quadrata adopted a unique and redundant mode of sound production by co-opting the gastric mill (grinding teeth of the foregut). Acoustic characteristics of the sound are consistent with stridulation and are produced by both male and female crabs during aggressive interactions. Laser Doppler vibrometry localized the source of maximum vibration to the gastric region and fluoroscopy showed movement of the gastric mill that coincided with stridulation. The lateral teeth of the gastric mill possess a series of comb-like structures that rub against the median tooth to produce stridulation with dominant frequencies below 2 kHz. This previously undescribed gastric stridulation can be modulated and provide a means of assessment during aggressive interactions, similar to the use of the claw stridulation apparatus. This functional redundancy of stridulation in crabs offers unique insights into the mechanisms of evolution of acoustic communication systems.

scholarly journals Discrimination of natural acoustic variation in vocal signals

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam R. Fishbein ◽  
Nora H. Prior ◽  
Jane A. Brown ◽  
Gregory F. Ball ◽  
Robert J. Dooling
Keyword(s):  
Zebra Finch ◽  
Acoustic Communication ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Vocal Communication ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Speech Sounds ◽  
Vocal Signals ◽  
Acoustic Variation ◽  
Zebra Finch Song ◽  
Human Listener

AbstractStudies of acoustic communication often focus on the categories and units of vocalizations, but subtle variation also occurs in how these signals are uttered. In human speech, it is not only phonemes and words that carry information but also the timbre, intonation, and stress of how speech sounds are delivered (often referred to as “paralinguistic content”). In non-human animals, variation across utterances of vocal signals also carries behaviorally relevant information across taxa. However, the discriminability of these cues has been rarely tested in a psychophysical paradigm. Here, we focus on acoustic communication in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), a songbird species in which the male produces a single stereotyped motif repeatedly in song bouts. These motif renditions, like the song repetitions of many birds, sound very similar to the casual human listener. In this study, we show that zebra finches can easily discriminate between the renditions, even at the level of single song syllables, much as humans can discriminate renditions of speech sounds. These results support the notion that sensitivity to fine acoustic details may be a primary channel of information in zebra finch song, as well as a shared, foundational property of vocal communication systems across species.

scholarly journals Acoustic communication and the evolution of hearing in fishes

2000 ◽  
Vol 355 (1401) ◽  
pp. 1285-1288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Friedrich Ladich
Keyword(s):  
Inner Ear ◽  
Acoustic Communication ◽  
Acoustic Signals ◽  
Spectral Content ◽  
Auditory Thresholds ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
Vocal Signals ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Hearing Abilities ◽  
Dominant Frequencies

Fishes have evolved a diversity of sound–generating organs and acoustic signals of various temporal and spectral content. Additionally, representatives of many teleost families such as otophysines, anabantoids, mormyrids and holocentrids possess accessory structures that enhance hearing abilities by acoustically coupling air–filled cavities to the inner ear. Contrary to the accessory hearing structures such as Weberian ossicles in otophysines and suprabranchial chambers in anabantoids, sonic organs do not occur in all members of these taxa. Comparison of audiograms among nine representatives of seven otophysan families from four orders revealed major differences in auditory sensitivity, especially at higher frequencies (> 1kHz) where thresholds differed by up to 50 dB. These differences showed no apparent correspondence to the ability to produce sounds (vocal versus non–vocal species) or to the spectral content of species–specific sounds. In anabantoids, the lowest auditory thresholds were found in the blue gourami Trichogaster trichopterus , a species not thought to be vocal. Dominant frequencies of sounds corresponded with optimal hearing bandwidth in two out of three vocalizing species. Based on these results, it is concluded that the selective pressures involved in the evolution of accessory hearing structures and in the design of vocal signals were other than those serving to optimize acoustic communication.

scholarly journals Characteristics of sound production and associated pharyngeal jaws in the tomtate grunt Haemulon aurolineatum (Cuvier, 1830) in Caribbean reefs

2021 ◽  
Vol 151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morgane Millot ◽  
Frédéric Bertucci ◽  
David Lecchini ◽  
Sarah Smeets ◽  
Malika René-Trouillefou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acoustic Communication ◽  
Standard Length ◽  
Sound Production ◽  
Additional Data ◽  
Unusual Feature ◽  
Acoustic Features ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
The Family ◽  
Pharyngeal Jaws

The ability to produce sounds for acoustic communication is well known in different grunt species (Haemulidae). However, most of the sounds have not been described and the sound-producing mechanism of very few grunt species has been deeply studied. Additional data is needed to search for synapomorphy in the sonic mechanism. This study describes acoustic features and branchial anatomy in Haemulon aurolineatum. Correlations were found between some acoustic features and standard length, showing the largest specimens produced shorter, lower-pitched grunts of higher intensity. Examinations of acoustic features and branchial anatomy show that H. aurolineatum uses the same stridulatory mechanism described previously in H. flavolineatum. The unusual feature of Haemulon species concerns the fourth ceratobranchials. These appear to be part of the lower pharyngeal jaws since they possess firmly attached teeth that face the upper pharyngeal jaws. The stridulation results from the rubbing of both pharyngeal and fourth ceratobranchial teeth. This mechanism is probably common to the 23 Haemulon species, but additional information is needed regarding the mechanism of other Haemulinae species to produce stridulatory sounds. Fourth ceratobranchials could constitute a key element of Haemulinae ability to produce sounds providing an eventual synapomorphic aspect of the mechanism in the family.

A comparison of filter design structures for multi-channel acoustic communication systems

2008 ◽  
Vol 123 (1) ◽  
pp. 174-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre M. Dumuid ◽  
Ben S. Cazzolato ◽  
Anthony C. Zander
Keyword(s):  
Acoustic Communication ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Filter Design

EXOSKELETAL STRAIN: EVIDENCE FOR A TROT-GALLOP TRANSITION IN RAPIDLY RUNNING GHOST CRABS

1993 ◽  
Vol 179 (1) ◽  
pp. 301-321
Author(s):  
R. Blickhan ◽  
R. J. Full ◽  
L. Ting
Keyword(s):  
Axial Loading ◽  
Maximum Load ◽  
Strain Gauges ◽  
Bone Strain ◽  
Muscular Tension ◽  
Ocypode Quadrata ◽  
Ghost Crabs ◽  
Leg Design ◽  
Treadmill Locomotion

Equivalent gaits may be present in pedestrians that differ greatly in leg number, leg design and skeletal type. Previous studies on ghost crabs found that the transition from a slow to a fast run may resemble the change from a trot to a gallop in quadrupedal mammals. One indication of the trot-gallop gait change in quadrupedal mammals is a distinct alteration in bone strain. To test the hypothesis that ghost crabs (Ocypode quadrata) change from a trot to a gallop, we measured in vivo strains of the meropodite of the second trailing leg with miniature strain gauges. Exoskeletal strains changed significantly (increased fivefold) during treadmill locomotion at the proposed trot-gallop transition. Maximum strains attained during galloping and jumping (1000×10-6-3000×10-6) were similar to the values reported for mammals. Comparison of the maximum load possible on the leg segment (caused by muscular tension) with the strength of the segment under axial loading revealed a safety factor of 2.7, which is similar to values measured for jumping and running mammals. Equivalent gaits may result from similarities in the operation of pedestrian locomotory systems.

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