Lung-based hearing in an “earless” anuran amphibian |
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Authors: | T E Hetherington E D Lindquist |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Zoology, The Ohio State University, 1735 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 43210, USA E-mail: hetherington.1@osu.edu Tel.: +1-614-292-0832; Fax +1-614-292-2030, US |
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Abstract: | The mechanisms of hearing in the fire-bellied toad Bombina orientalis, an “earless” species of amphibian that lacks a standard tympanic middle ear, were studied using laser Doppler vibrometric
and neurophysiological techniques. Laser vibrometry demonstrated that the anterolateral body wall overlying the lung is much
more responsive to sound than the lateral head surface overlying the inner ear. Covering the lateral body wall with silicone
grease dramatically decreased auditory midbrain sensitivity at all frequencies examined, elevating thresholds by 20–25 dB.
Filling the lungs with oxygenated saline produced similar decrements in hearing sensitivity, and both manipulations strongly
suggest that the lung is the primary route of sound reception in this species. The precise route of transfer of sound energy
from the body wall and lungs to the inner ear remains unclear. The lung-based hearing system of “earless” fire-bellied toads
may represent the retention of the first auditory mechanism used by early tetrapod vertebrates for detection of airborne sound.
Accepted: 10 December 1998 |
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Keywords: | Anuran amphibia Bombina Hearing Lung Middle ear |
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