Sensory evolution of hearing in tettigoniids with differing communication systems
J Strauß1, A W Lehmann2, G U C Lehmann3
1Institute for Animal Physiology, AG Integrative Sensory Physiology, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Gießen, Germany.
Journal of Evolutionary Biology
|December 17, 2013
Summary
In Tettigoniidae katydids, auditory structures change based on communication type. Species with unidirectional communication show reduced hearing organs, especially the acoustic spiracle, impacting auditory sensitivity.
Area of Science:
- Bioacoustics
- Insect auditory systems
- Evolutionary biology
Background:
- Tettigoniidae (katydids) rely on acoustic communication for mate detection, typically unidirectional (male calling, female phonotaxis).
- Some lineages exhibit bidirectional communication with female replies, while the genus Poecilimon shows reversals to unidirectional systems.
- Hearing organs are crucial for processing conspecific signals, suggesting adaptations related to communication strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze functional adaptations in the auditory system of the Tettigoniidae genus Poecilimon.
- To investigate adaptations in sound-receiving structures (tympanum, acoustic spiracle), auditory sensilla number, and hearing sensitivity.
- To correlate these auditory adaptations with uni- or bidirectional communication systems and differing sex roles.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of auditory structures across Poecilimon species with different communication systems.
- Measurement of tympanum and acoustic spiracle dimensions.
- Quantification of auditory sensilla numbers and assessment of hearing sensitivity, particularly in the ultrasonic range.
Main Results:
- Tympanal dimensions scale with body size, while acoustic spiracles are significantly reduced in species with unidirectional communication.
- Auditory sensilla numbers decrease in unidirectional P. ampliatus species, with further reduction in the parthenogenetic P. intermedius.
- Hearing sensitivity correlates positively with acoustic spiracle size, especially for ultrasonic frequencies.
Conclusions:
- Auditory system structures in Poecilimon are significantly reduced in species employing unidirectional communication.
- The acoustic spiracle shows drastic reduction, directly impacting hearing sensitivity, particularly in the ultrasonic range.
- These findings highlight the role of differing sex roles in shaping auditory adaptations during the evolution of communication systems.
Keywords:
animal communicationinsect hearingregressive evolutionsensory ecologysensory evolutiontympanal organMore Related Videos
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