Development of hearing in vertebrates with special reference to anuran acoustic communication.
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Date
1994-12
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Abstract
Amphibians, specially anurans, are excellent model systems for studying acoustic
communication. After hatching, anurans exist in two forms; these have two distinct mode
of sound perception. Aquatic larvae are perceptive to waterborne sound stimuli; then,
following metamorphosis, as terrestrial adults, perceptive to airborne sound stimuli. Added
to this, the metamorphosing tadpole presents an equally interesting study as it could
recapitulate the events which occurred during the evolution of hearing in vertebrates at the
lime of the transition from aquatic to terrestrial life. Metamorphosis entails the loss of a
prominent aquatic sensory system—the lateral line system—and the simultaneous gain of
another, the inner ear, along with the coevolution of the tympanic middle ear, a basilar
papilla and a periotic labyrinth in the inner ear.
Another interesting feature is that anurans are believed to be the first terrestrial vertebrates
to use vocalization as a part of their reproductive behaviour. Vocal communication plays
an important role in behaviour, ranging from territorial defense to reproduction, and calls
are classified according to the particular behaviors that they subserve. Adult male anurans
produce a species-specific mating call which is used to attract conspecific females dung
their mating season, and this call serves as a mechanism in maintaining reproductive
isolation from other sympatric species.
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Keywords
Amphibia, anura, acoustic communication
Citation
Roy Debjani. Development of hearing in vertebrates with special reference to anuran acoustic communication. Journal of Biosciences. 1994 Dec; 19(5): 629-644.