Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026

A Low Cost Setup for Behavioral Audiometry in Rodents
Published on: October 16, 2012
Peripheral and central auditory specialization in a gliding marsupial, the feathertail glider, Acrobates pygmaeus
1Department of Physiology, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.
Abstract:
Two specialized features are described in the auditory system of Acrobates pygmaeus, a small gliding marsupial. Firstly, the ear canal includes a transverse disk of bone that partly occludes the canal near the eardrum. The resultant narrow-necked chamber above the eardrum appears to attenuate sound across a broad frequency range, except at 27-29 kHz at which a net gain of sound pressure occurs. Secondly, the lateral medulla is hypertrophied at the level of the cochlear nucleus, forming a massive lateral lobe comprised of multipolar cells and granule cells. This lobe has connections with the auditory nerve and the cerebellum. Speculations are advanced about the functions of these structures in gliding behaviour and predator avoidance.
Related Concept Videos
Hearing
The Cochlea
The Auditory Ossicles
The aptly named stapes look very much like a stirrup. The three ossicles are unique to mammals, and each plays a role in...
Anatomy of the Ear
Auditory Pathway
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
Auditory Perception

