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The vertebrate ear as an exquisite seismic sensor.

P M Narins, E R Lewis

    The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
    |November 1, 1984
    PubMed
    Summary

    The white-lipped frog (Leptodactylus albilabris) possesses extraordinary sensitivity to seismic stimuli, detecting vibrations at accelerations below 10(-6) g. Its saccule, an auditory organ, is responsible for this remarkable ability, comparable to mammalian hearing.

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    Area of Science:

    • Bioacoustics
    • Sensory Biology
    • Comparative Physiology

    Background:

    • The neotropical frog Leptodactylus albilabris displays exceptional sensitivity to substrate-borne vibrations.
    • This sensitivity is among the highest recorded for any terrestrial animal.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the neurophysiological basis of seismic sensitivity in Leptodactylus albilabris.
    • To identify the sensory organ responsible for detecting low-amplitude vibrations.

    Main Methods:

    • Recording neural activity from vibration-sensitive nerve fibers in response to controlled seismic stimuli.
    • Analyzing stimulus-evoked modulations in resting discharge rates.
    • Comparing the sensitivity of the frog's saccule to mammalian cochlear sensitivity.

    Main Results:

    • Nerve fibers showed significant modulations at seismic stimuli below 0.001 cm/s2 (10(-6) g).
    • The saccule is identified as the likely source of this extraordinary vibration sensitivity.
    • Vibration-sensitive fibers saturate at 10 Å peak-to-peak displacements, indicating high sensitivity.

    Conclusions:

    • Leptodactylus albilabris possesses the most sensitive known system for detecting seismic stimuli in terrestrial animals.
    • The saccule plays a crucial role in detecting these vibrations, functioning as a highly sensitive auditory organ.
    • The sensitivity of the frog's saccule is comparable to that of the mammalian cochlea for displacement detection.

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