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Published on: June 29, 2014
Active vibrissal sensing in rodents and marsupials
Ben Mitchinson1, Robyn A Grant, Kendra Arkley
1Active Touch Laboratory (ATL@S), Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
Summary
Active whisking behavior in rats, mice, and opossums indicates sophisticated vibrissal touch control. This suggests active whisker movement evolved early in therian mammals for environmental exploration.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Comparative Biology
- Sensory Systems
Background:
- Whisking, a rapid back-and-forth facial whisker movement, is crucial for rodent exploration.
- Previous studies focused primarily on rats, leaving broader evolutionary and comparative insights limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate active vibrissal control during exploration in rats, mice, and opossums.
- To determine the evolutionary origins of active vibrissal touch in therian mammals.
Main Methods:
- Utilized automatic whisker tracking and Fourier analysis to quantify whisking motion.
- Recorded whisking behavior during head turning and object contact in three species.
Main Results:
- Whisking motion in all species approximates a blend of fundamental and second harmonic frequencies.
- Asymmetric whisking patterns were observed during head turns and after object contact, indicating active control.
- Mouse whisking exhibited a particularly strong second harmonic oscillation (~22 Hz).
Conclusions:
- Active vibrissal control is present across rodents and marsupials, suggesting an early evolutionary origin.
- Vibrissal touch is a fundamental sensory capacity in therian mammals, likely present since their early evolution.
