Comparative studies on the vascular organization of carotid labyrinths of anurans and caudates

The three-dimensional structures of the carotid labyrinth in five species of anurans representing four families (Rana nigromaculata, Rana catesbeiana, Bufo japonicus, Hyla arborea, and Xenopus laevis), and three species of caudates representing three families (Cynops pyrrhogaster, Hynobius nebulosus, Ambystoma mexicanum) were compared using vascular corrosion castings and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Anuran carotid labyrinths are spherical in shape and are classified into two groups according to the origin of the external and internal carotid arteries. One group, which included Rana, Hyla, and Bufo, is characterized by the presence of a vascular ring at the proximal end and some vascular routes at the distal end of the labyrinth. The external and internal carotid arteries originate from these structures. The other group, which includes only Xenopus, is characterized by the external carotid artery opening directly from the central chamber or the common carotid artery, and by the internal carotid artery originating from within the vascular maze. The vascular maze is most complex in Xenopus, less so in Rana and Bufo, and simplest in Hyla. The carotid labyrinths in Cynops and Hynobius are oblong in shape. The fundamental organization in salamanders is similar to that in anurans. The vascular maze, however, is much simpler than in Hyla. There is no specialized swelling in Ambystoma mexicanum. The present findings suggest that most amphibian carotid labyrinths have the appropriate architecture for controlling vascular tone.     

Sound transmission and directional hearing in field crickets: neurophysiological studies outdoors

Many studies provide detailed behavioural and neurophysiological information on the ability of crickets to localize a sound source under ideal acoustic conditions, but very little is known about how they perform in real habitats. We investigated directional hearing of crickets in the field using a neurophysiological approach, by recording the activity of the two prominent, bilaterally homologous AN1 neurons simultaneously in a cricket’s habitat. The discharge and latency differences of the pair of neurons in response to conspecific chirps presented at different distances and directions were taken as a measure of directional information. The maximum hearing distance differed between individuals and weather conditions from 1 to 15 m (mean 9.2 m). Although the AN1 activity generally decreased with increasing distance, large fluctuations in the magnitude of responses occurred with distance, indicating that the intensity gradient over distance is often irregular. The directional information provided in the discharge differences of the two neurons also varied with distance. Again, there was no simple directional gradient on the transmission channel; rather, with decreasing distance to the source there were receiver locations providing suprathreshold responses, but no directional information. The consequences for the ability of field crickets to communicate acoustically close to the ground are discussed.     

Physics of directional hearing in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus

In the cricket ear, sound acts on the external surface of the tympanum and also reaches the inner surface after travelling in at least three pathways in the tracheal system. We have determined the transmission gain of the three internal sound pathways; that is, the change of amplitude and phase angle from the entrances of the tracheal system to the inner surface of the tympanum. In addition, we have measured the diffraction and time of arrival of sound at the ear and at the three entrances at various directions of sound incidence. By combining these data we have calculated how the total driving force at the tympanum depends on the direction of sound. The results are in reasonable agreement with the directionality of the tympanal vibrations as determined with laser vibrometry.At the frequency of the calling song (4.7 kHz), the direction of the sound has little effect on the amplitudes of the sounds acting on the tympanum, but large effects on their phase angles, especially of the sound waves entering the tracheal system at the contralateral side of the body. The master parameter for causing the directionality of the ear in the forward direction is the sound wave entering the contralateral thoracic spiracle. The phase of this sound component may change by 130–140° with sound direction. The transmission of sound from the contralateral inputs is dominated by a very selective high-pass filter, and large changes in amplitude and phase are seen in the transmitted sounds when the sound frequency changes from 4 to 5 kHz. The directionality is therefore very dependent on sound frequency.The transmission gains vary considerably in different individuals, and much variation was also found in the directional patterns of the ears, especially in the effects of sounds from contralateral directions. However, the directional pattern in the frontal direction is quite robust (at least 5 dB difference between the 330° and 30° directions), so these variations have only little effect on how well the individual animals can approach singing conspecifics.Abbreviations CS contralateral spiracle - CT contralateral tympanum - IS ipsilateral spiracle - IT ipsilateral tympanum - P the vectorial sum of the sounds acting on the tympanum     

Innovative biomechanics for directional hearing in small flies

In humans and animals alike, the localization of sound constitutes a fundamental processing task of the auditory system. Directional hearing relies on acoustic cues such as the interaural amplitude and time differences and also, sometimes, the signal spectral composition. In small animals, such as insects, the auditory receptors are forcibly set close together, a design constraint imposing very short interaural distances. Due to the physics of sound propagation, the close proximity of the sound receivers results in vanishingly small amplitude and time cues. Yet, because of their directionality, small auditory systems embed original and innovative solutions that can be of inspirational value to some acute problems of technological miniaturization. Such ears are found in a parasitoid fly that acoustically locates its singing cricket host. Anatomically rather unconventional, the fly's auditory system is endowed with a directional sensitivity that is based on the mechanical coupling between its two hemilateral tympanal membranes. The functional principle permitting this directionality may be of particular relevance for technological applications necessitating sensors that are low cost, low weight, and low energy. Based on silicon-etching technology, early prototypes of sub-millimeter acoustic sensors provide evidence for directional mechanical responses. Further developments hold the promise of applications in hearing aid technology, vibration sensors, and miniature video-acoustic surveillance systems.     

Comparative functional analysis of aquaporins/glyceroporins in mammals and anurans

Maintenance of fluid homeostasis is critical to establishing and maintaining normal physiology. The landmark discovery of membrane water channels (aquaporins; AQPs) ushered in a new area in osmoregulatory biology that has drawn from and contributed to diverse branches of biology, from molecular biology and genomics to systems biology and evolution, and from microbial and plant biology to animal and translational physiology. As a result, the study of AQPs provides a unique and integrated backdrop for exploring the relationships between genes and genome systems, the regulation of gene expression, and the physiologic consequences of genetic variation. The wide species distribution of AQP family members and the evolutionary conservation of the family indicate that the control of membrane water flux is a critical biological process. AQP function and regulation is proving to be central to many of the pathways involved in individual physiologic systems in both mammals and anurans. In mammals, AQPs are essential to normal secretory and absorptive functions of the eye, lung, salivary gland, sweat glands, gastrointestinal tract, and kidney. In urinary, respiratory, and gastrointestinal systems, AQPs are required for proper urine concentration, fluid reabsorption, and glandular secretions. In anurans, AQPs are important in mediating physiologic responses to changes in the external environment, including those that occur during metamorphosis and adaptation from an aquatic to terrestrial environment and thermal acclimation in anticipation of freezing. Therefore, an understanding of AQP function and regulation is an important aspect of an integrated approach to basic biological research.     

Comparative anatomy and development of pectoral and pelvic girdles in hylid anurans

The development of the tetrapod pectoral and pelvic girdles is intimately linked to the proximal segments of the fore‐ and hindlimbs. Most studies on girdles are osteological and provide little information about soft elements such as muscles and tendons. Moreover, there are few comparative developmental studies. Comparative data gleaned from cleared‐and‐stained whole mounts and serial histological sections of 10 species of hylid frogs are presented here. Adult skeletal morphology, along with bones, muscles, and connective tissue of both girdles and their association with the proximal portions of the anuran fore‐ and hindlimbs are described. The data suggest that any similarity could be attributable to the constraints of their ball‐and‐socket joints, including incorporation of the girdle and stylopodium into a single developmental module. An ancestral state reconstruction of key structures and developmental episodes reveals that several development events occur at similar stages in different species, thereby preventing heterochronic changes. The medial contact of the halves of the pectoral girdle coincides with the emergence of the forelimbs from the branchial chamber and with the total differentiation of the linkage between the axial skeleton and the girdles. The data suggest that morphogenic activity in the anterior dorsal body region is greater than in the posterior one, reflecting the evolutionary sequence of the development of the two girdles in ancient tetrapods. The data also document the profound differences in the anatomy and development of the pectoral and pelvic girdles, supporting the proposal that the pectoral and pelvic girdles are not serially homologous, as was long presumed.