Age‐related and noise‐induced hearing loss alters grasshopper mouse (Onychomys) vocalizations

Vocal repertoire and auditory sensitivity of white-throated woodrats (Neotoma albigula).

“…Male and female woodrats were similarly sensitive in their hearing and vocal abilities, corresponding to previous findings in grasshopper mice and correlating with behavioral observations in humans (Green et al, 2019;Homans et al, 2017;Tremblay et al, 2003). However, sex differences in hearing and communication abilities, may emerge with age as previously recorded in laboratory and wild rodents (Kobrina et al, 2020(Kobrina et al, , 2021Kobrina & Dent, 2019). Although laboratory rodents are often used to model human Note.…”

“…Generally, adult N. albigula produced similar proportions of vocalizations across individual and social contexts, resembling the vocal behavior of other cricetid rodents (Briggs & Kalcounis-Rueppell, 2011;Kobrina et al, 2021). Squeaks were only produced during physical altercations in social dyads and by pups separated from their dam, highlighting the squeak's agonistic function in the genus (Soltis et al, 2012).…”

“…ABRs were recorded to evaluate the status of the auditory nerve and brainstem response to sounds in 10 female (F) and 12 male (M) mice using procedures previously described by Green et al, 2019. This sample size is comparable to those previously used in hearing studies of wild rodents (Green et al, 2019; Kobrina et al, 2021). ABR recordings were conducted in a semianechoic chamber (ETS Lindgren SD -1; internal dimensions 91.4 cm × 91.4 cm × 91.4 cm).…”

“…We used the first two detectable positive peaks and the first negative valley corresponding to the distal and proximal portions of the auditory nerve to determine the threshold (ABR Waves I and II; Green et al, 2019;McClaskey et al, 2020). It is important to note that different methodologies and standards exist for calculating ABR thresholds, as ABR waveforms vary across species, with age, and auditory health (Alvarado et al, 2012;Kim et al, 2022;Kobrina et al, 2020Kobrina et al, , 2021Xie et al, 2018). ANOVA revealed a significant main effect of stimulus (Table 4).…”

“…Although recent progress has been made in documenting the vocal repertoire and hearing abilities of wild rodents (Green et al, 2019; Heffner & Heffner, 1985; Kobrina et al, 2021; Riede et al, 2022; Riede & Pasch, 2020), many species remain unstudied. For example, vocal behavior has been documented in only 2 of 19 woodrat species (genus Neotoma ; Soltis et al, 2012; White & Fleming, 1987) despite their diversity and widespread distribution in North and Central America (Goldman, 1910; Macêdo & Mares, 1988).…”