Echolocation calls and communication calls are controlled differentially in the brainstem of the bat Phyllostomus discolor |
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Authors: | Thomas Fenzl and Gerd Schuller |
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Institution: | (1) Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, Munich, 80804, Germany;(2) Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet, Grosshaderner Str. 2, Planegg-Martinsried, 82152, Germany |
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Abstract: | Background Echolocating bats emit vocalizations that can be classified either as echolocation calls or communication calls. Neural control
of both types of calls must govern the same pool of motoneurons responsible for vocalizations. Electrical microstimulation
in the periaqueductal gray matter (PAG) elicits both communication and echolocation calls, whereas stimulation of the paralemniscal
area (PLA) induces only echolocation calls. In both the PAG and the PLA, the current thresholds for triggering natural vocalizations
do not habituate to stimuli and remain low even for long stimulation periods, indicating that these structures have relative
direct access to the final common pathway for vocalization. This study intended to clarify whether echolocation calls and
communication calls are controlled differentially below the level of the PAG via separate vocal pathways before converging
on the motoneurons used in vocalization. |
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Keywords: | |
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