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Auditory Brain Stem Processing in Reptiles and Amphibians: Roles of Coupled Ears

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Insights from Comparative Hearing Research

Part of the book series: Springer Handbook of Auditory Research ((SHAR,volume 49))

Abstract

Comparative approaches to the auditory system have yielded great insight into the evolution of sound localization circuits, particularly within the nonmammalian tetrapods. The fossil record demonstrates multiple appearances of tympanic hearing, and examination of the auditory brain stem of various groups can reveal the organizing effects of the ear across taxa. If the peripheral structures have a strongly organizing influence on the neural structures, then homologous neural structures should be observed only in groups with a homologous tympanic ear. Therefore, the central auditory systems of anurans (frogs), reptiles (including birds), and mammals should all be more similar within each group than among the groups. Although there is large variation in the peripheral auditory system, there is evidence that auditory brain stem nuclei in tetrapods are homologous and have similar functions among and within these groups. It appears that the more pronounced changes in processing are related to detecting airborne sound, the addition of high-frequency hearing, and the extent of acoustic coupling of the ears. This chapter focuses on the similarities and differences in peripheral structures as well as the anatomy and physiology of auditory brain stem nuclei.

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Abbreviations

CT:

Computed tomography

EI:

Excitatory–inhibitory

ILD:

Interaural level difference

ITD:

Interaural time difference

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

NA:

Nucleus angularis

NL:

Nucleus laminaris

NM:

Nucleus magnocellularis

SO:

Superior olive

SPL:

Sound pressure level

TS:

Torus semicircularis

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by awards from the Danish National Science Foundation 09-065990 and Carlsberg Foundation 2009-01-0684 (J. Christensen-Dalsgaard ), the Velux Foundation (Denmark) and NIH DC00436 (C. E. Carr), by NIH P30 DC0466 to the University of Maryland Center for Comparative and Evolutionary Biology of Hearing, and by training grant DC-00046 from the National Institute of Deafness and Communicative Disorders of the National Institutes of Health.

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  1. Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Katie L. Willis & Catherine E. Carr

  2. Institute of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230, Odense M, Denmark

    Jakob Christensen-Dalsgaard

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  1. Katie L. Willis
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Correspondence to Katie L. Willis .

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  1. School of Medicine and Health Science, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Niedersachsen, Germany

    Christine Köppl

  2. School of Medicine and Health Science, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Niedersachsen, Germany

    Geoffrey A. Manley

  3. Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA

    Arthur N. Popper

  4. Falmouth, Massachusetts, USA

    Richard R. Fay

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Willis, K.L., Christensen-Dalsgaard, J., Carr, C.E. (2013). Auditory Brain Stem Processing in Reptiles and Amphibians: Roles of Coupled Ears. In: Köppl, C., Manley, G., Popper, A., Fay, R. (eds) Insights from Comparative Hearing Research. Springer Handbook of Auditory Research, vol 49. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/2506_2013_24

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