Auditory Localization of Ground-Borne Vibrations in Snakes

Friedel, Paul; Young, Bruce A.; Hemmen, J. Leo van

doi:10.1103/physrevlett.100.048701

Cited by 29 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…So, taking the possible 10-30dB offset of thresholds found by evoked potential into account, snakes may be as sensitive to vibration as frogs. Furthermore, it has been hypothesized that snakes are able to detect the direction of vibration signals by differential vibration of the two sides of the lower jaw (Friedel et al, 2008).…”

Section: Hearing and Vibration Sensitivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Hearing with an atympanic ear: good vibration and poor sound-pressure detection in the royal python,Python regius

Christensen

Christensen‐Dalsgaard

Brandt

et al. 2012

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYSnakes lack both an outer ear and a tympanic middle ear, which in most tetrapods provide impedance matching between the air and inner ear fluids and hence improve pressure hearing in air. Snakes would therefore be expected to have very poor pressure hearing and generally be insensitive to airborne sound, whereas the connection of the middle ear bone to the jaw bones in snakes should confer acute sensitivity to substrate vibrations. Some studies have nevertheless claimed that snakes are quite sensitive to both vibration and sound pressure. Here we test the two hypotheses that: (1) snakes are sensitive to sound pressure and (2) snakes are sensitive to vibrations, but cannot hear the sound pressure per se. Vibration and sound-pressure sensitivities were quantified by measuring brainstem evoked potentials in 11 royal pythons, Python regius. Vibrograms and audiograms showed greatest sensitivity at low frequencies of 80-160Hz, with sensitivities of -54dBre.1ms -2 and 78dBre.20mPa, respectively. To investigate whether pythons detect sound pressure or sound-induced head vibrations, we measured the sound-induced head vibrations in three dimensions when snakes were exposed to sound pressure at threshold levels. In general, head vibrations induced by threshold-level sound pressure were equal to or greater than those induced by threshold-level vibrations, and therefore sound-pressure sensitivity can be explained by sound-induced head vibration. From this we conclude that pythons, and possibly all snakes, lost effective pressure hearing with the complete reduction of a functional outer and middle ear, but have an acute vibration sensitivity that may be used for communication and detection of predators and prey.Supplementary material available online at

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Section: Hearing and Vibration Sensitivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Hearing with an atympanic ear: good vibration and poor sound-pressure detection in the royal python,Python regius

Christensen

Christensen‐Dalsgaard

Brandt

et al. 2012

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…In light of our findings, Wever (1978), Young (2003), Friedel et al (2008), Scanferla and Bhullar (2014) and Dowling (2015) reported that snakes cannot hear. This deduction is supported by the fact that snakes have neither eustachian tube nor tympanum.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…In addition, snakes cannot hear. This presumption is supported by the fact that snakes have neither tympanum nor eustachian tube, and the stapes whose proximal end rests in the vestibular window and its distal end attached to the quadrate bone on which the lower jaw swings (Young, 2003;Friedel et al, 2008;Scanferla and Bhullar, 2014;Dowling, 2015) and that scientific evidence of snakes responding to sound is rare. Snakes do, however, possess an inner ear with a functional cochlea and with poorly developing middle ear components.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…The vibrations from the prey footsteps pass underneath both sides of the jaw travel through the snake's head through two bones -the quadrate and stapes -and then stimulate the cochlea (Zyga, 2008;Christensen et al, 2012;Knight, 2012). The special characterization in snake skull allows to them to swallow very large meals and allowed hearing process to develop (Friedel et al, 2008;Thewissen et al, 2008). Versluys (1903) studies the chondrification of the columella auris in Lacertilia and Rhynchocephalia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prenatal development of the sound transmitting apparatus in different embryonic stages of Malpolon monsspesulanus (squamata-serpentes)

et al. 2018

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The developmental investigation of sound transmitting apparatus is important in understanding the ontogenetic processes behind morphological diversity. The development of sound conducting apparatus was studied in Montpellier snake; Malpolon monspessulanus at 6.5, 7.2, 8.3 and 9.3 cm total body lengths using light microscopy study. The columella auris firstly appeared as undifferentiated rod shape mesenchymal cells. As the growth proceeded, it chondrified and differentiates into two main parts. In addition, the viscerocranium components which participate in formation of sound transmitting apparatus undergo critical organization. In more advanced stages, procartilagenous stylohyal chondrified and fuse with the well organized quadrate. These data considered as a base for functional and molecular mechanisms of sound transmitting apparatus studies and identification of diseases that may infect them.Keywords: columella auris, quadrate, stylohyal, tympanic cavity. Desenvolvimento pré-natal do aparelho transmissor de som em diferentes estágios embrionários de Malpolon monsspesulanus (Squamata-serpentes) ResumoA investigação do desenvolvimento de equipamentos de transmissão de som é importante na compreensão dos processos ontogenéticos atrás diversidade morfológica. O desenvolvimento de aparelhos de som realização foi estudada em Montpellier cobra; Monspessulanus Malpolon em 6.5, 7.2, 8.3 e 9.3 cm corporal total utilizando comprimentos de estudo de microscopia de luz. O auris columelar em primeiro lugar apareceu como células mesenquimais forma haste indiferenciada. Como o crescimento passou, ele chondrified e diferencia em duas partes principais. Além disso, os componentes viscerocrânio que participam na formação do aparelho de transmissão de som submeter a organização crítico. Em estágios mais avançados, stylohyal procartilagenous chondrified e se fundem com o quadrado bem organizado. Estes dados considerados como uma base para os mecanismos funcionais e estudos moleculares do aparelho de transmissão de som e identificação de doenças que podem infectar-los.Palavras-chave: auris columella, quadrate, stylohyal, cavidade timpânica.

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“…In [11] authors describe the logistics behind auditory localization performed by snakes. Snakes lack a tympanic membrane and the external ear openings, but are equipped with a perfectly functioning inner ear.…”

Section: Ieee/rsj International Conference On Intelligent Robots and mentioning

confidence: 99%

A framework for dynamic sensory substitution

Mkhitaryan

Burschka

2014

2014 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems

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Abstract-In this paper we present a framework for dynamic substitution of different sensory modalities with existing physical sensors. Our system is capable of finding the most optimal set of mathematical and physical transformations between two modalities of physical and virtual sensors. It allows a creation of new virtual sensors from given set of physical sensors. The virtual sensing may extend to new sensing modalities for which no direct physical sensors exist. The framework optimizes for a minimal error and optimal observation in the resulting fusion. It is processing the chain for a given spatial measurement and measurement range. The framework is capable of increasing the reliability of acquired data in multi-sensor systems by being able to asses the amount of accumulated errors. We give two examples of real-world applications of this framework in robotic environments.

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Auditory Localization of Ground-Borne Vibrations in Snakes

Cited by 29 publications

References 19 publications

Hearing with an atympanic ear: good vibration and poor sound-pressure detection in the royal python,Python regius

Hearing with an atympanic ear: good vibration and poor sound-pressure detection in the royal python,Python regius

Prenatal development of the sound transmitting apparatus in different embryonic stages of Malpolon monsspesulanus (squamata-serpentes)

A framework for dynamic sensory substitution

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