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Directionality of the pressure-difference receiver ears in the northern leopard frog, Rana pipiens pipiens

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Abstract

We studied the directional response of the coupled-eardrum system in the northern leopard frog, Rana pipiens pipiens. Eardrum behavior closely approximates a linear time-invariant system, with a highly correlated input–output relationship between the eardrum pressure difference and the eardrum velocity. Variations in the eardrum transfer function at frequencies below 800 Hz indicate the existence of an extratympanic sound transmission pathway which can interfere with eardrum motions. The eardrum velocity was shown to shift in phase as a function of sound incident angle, which was a direct result of the phase-shift of the eardrum pressure difference. We used two laser-Doppler vibrometers to measure the interaural vibration time difference (IVTD) and the interaural vibration amplitude difference (IVAD) between the motions of the two eardrums. The coupled-eardrum system enhanced the IVTD and IVAD by a factor of 3 and 3 dB, respectively, when compared to an isolated-eardrum system of the same size. Our findings are consistent with the time-delay sensitivity of other coupled-eardrum systems such as those found in crickets and flies.

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Abbreviations

IPD:

Interaural phase difference

ITD:

Interaural time difference

IID:

Interaural intensity difference

IVAD:

Interaural vibration amplitude difference

LTI:

Linear time-invariant

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Acknowledgements

We thank Rick Klufas and Mike Eng for their help in machining various parts for this project, Margaret Kowalczyk for help in producing Figs. 5–7, and Urban Willi for helpful discussions. This work is supported by NIH Grant no. DC-00222 to PMN. The experiments comply with the “Principles of animal care”, publication No. 86–23, revised 1985 of the National Institute of Health, and also with the current laws of the United States of America.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiological Science and Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California at Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive S., Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1606, USA

    Peter M. Narins

  2. Department of Biomedical Engineering, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1606, USA

    Calvin C. K. Ho

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  1. Calvin C. K. Ho
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  2. Peter M. Narins
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Correspondence to Peter M. Narins.

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Ho, C.C.K., Narins, P.M. Directionality of the pressure-difference receiver ears in the northern leopard frog, Rana pipiens pipiens . J Comp Physiol A 192, 417–429 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-005-0080-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-005-0080-7

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