In praise of adventitious sounds

Area of Science:

• Auditory Neuroscience
• Bioacoustics
• Mammalian Ecology

Background:

• Hearing research traditionally focuses on communication sounds.
• Adventitious sounds, generated during locomotion, are omnipresent and crucial for mammalian survival.
• These sounds have played a significant role in the evolution of the mammalian auditory system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To draw attention to the understudied class of adventitious sounds.
• To emphasize the ecological and evolutionary significance of adventitious sounds.
• To explore the link between adventitious sounds and auditory system features.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on adventitious sound characteristics.
• Analysis of acoustic propagation limitations for ground-level sound sources and receivers.
• Hypothetical discussion of neural circuits, specifically a binaural brainstem circuit, in relation to adventitious sound processing.

Main Results:

• Adventitious sounds often contain high-frequency transients.
• Acoustic propagation is limited, especially in vegetated environments, making these sounds indicators of proximity.
• Detection and localization of these high-frequency transients are critical for both prey and predators.

Conclusions:

• Adventitious sounds are vital for survival, influencing predator-prey interactions.
• Understanding adventitious sounds is essential for comprehending auditory system morphology and physiology.
• Further research into the neural processing of adventitious sounds is warranted.