nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Ecology of acoustic signalling and the problem of masking interference in insects
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

The efficiency of long-distance acoustic signalling of insects in their natural habitat is constrained in several ways. Acoustic signals are not only subjected to changes imposed by the physical structure of the habitat such as attenuation and degradation but also to masking interference from co-occurring signals of other acoustically communicating species. Masking interference is likely to be a ubiquitous problem in multi-species assemblages, but successful communication in natural environments under noisy conditions suggests powerful strategies to deal with the detection and recognition of relevant signals. In this review we present recent work on the role of the habitat as a driving force in shaping insect signal structures. In the context of acoustic masking interference, we discuss the ecological niche concept and examine the role of acoustic resource partitioning in the temporal, spatial and spectral domains as sender strategies to counter masking. We then examine the efficacy of different receiver strategies: physiological mechanisms such as frequency tuning, spatial release from masking and gain control as useful strategies to counteract acoustic masking. We also review recent work on the effects of anthropogenic noise on insect acoustic communication and the importance of insect sounds as indicators of biodiversity and ecosystem health.
Influence of double stimulation on sound-localization behavior in barn owls
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

Barn owls do not immediately approach a source after they hear a sound, but wait for a second sound before they strike. This represents a gain in striking behavior by avoiding responses to random incidents. However, the first stimulus is also expected to change the threshold for perceiving the subsequent second sound, thus possibly introducing some costs. We mimicked this situation in a behavioral double-stimulus paradigm utilizing saccadic head turns of owls. The first stimulus served as an adapter, was presented in frontal space, and did not elicit a head turn. The second stimulus, emitted from a peripheral source, elicited the head turn. The time interval between both stimuli was varied. Data obtained with double stimulation were compared with data collected with a single stimulus from the same positions as the second stimulus in the double-stimulus paradigm. Sound-localization performance was quantified by the response latency, accuracy, and precision of the head turns. Response latency was increased with double stimuli, while accuracy and precision were decreased. The effect depended on the inter-stimulus interval. These results suggest that waiting for a second stimulus may indeed impose costs on sound localization by adaptation and this reduces the gain obtained by waiting for a second stimulus.
Ammonia exposure increases the expression of Na+:K+:2Cl− cotransporter 1a in the gills of the giant mudskipper, Periophthalmodon schlosseri
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology B

The giant mudskipper, Periophthalmodon schlosseri, is an obligate air-breathing teleost that can actively excrete ammonia against high concentrations of environmental ammonia. This study aimed to clone and sequence the Na+:K+:2Cl−cotransporter1 (nkcc1) from the gills of P. schlosseri, and to determine the effects of ammonia exposure on its mRNA expression and protein abundance after pre-acclimation to slightly brackish water (salinity 3; SBW) for 2 weeks. The complete coding cDNA sequences of nkcc1a consisted of 3453 bp, coding for 1151 amino acid with an estimated molecular mass of 125.4 kDa. Exposure to 75 mmol l−1 NH4Cl in SBW had no effect on the mRNA expression of nkcc1a. However, western blotting revealed a significant increase in the protein abundance of multiple T4-immunoreactive bands of molecular mass 170–250 kDa in the gills of P. schlosseri exposed to ammonia. Furthermore, immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated the colocalization of the increased T4-immunoreactive protein with Na+/K+-ATPase (Nka) α-subunit to the basolateral membrane of certain ionocytes in the gills of the ammonia-exposed fish. As Nkcc1 is known to have a basolateral localization, it can be concluded that ammonia exposure led to an increase in the expression of glycosylated Nkcc1, the molecular masses of which were reduced upon enzymatic deglycosylation, in the gills of P. schlosseri. The dependency on post-transcriptional and post-translational regulation of branchial Nkcc1 in P. schlosseri would facilitate prompt responses to changes in environmental condition. As NH4+ can replace K+, NH4+ could probably enter ionocytes through the basolateral Nkcc1a during active ammonia excretion, but increased influx of Na+, NH4+ and 2Cl− would alter the transmembrane Na+ gradient. Consequently, exposure of P. schlosseri to ammonia would also result in an increase in branchial activity of Nka with decreased NH4+ affinity so as to maintain intracellular Na+ and K+ homeostasis as reported elsewhere.
Pattern recognition in field crickets: concepts and neural evidence
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

Since decades the acoustic communication behavior of crickets is in the focus of neurobiology aiming to analyze the neural basis of male singing and female phonotactic behavior. For temporal pattern recognition several different concepts have been proposed to elucidate the possible neural mechanisms underlying the tuning of phonotaxis in females. These concepts encompass either some form of a feature detecting mechanism using cross-correlation processing, temporal filter properties of brain neurons or an autocorrelation processing based on a delay-line and coincidence detection mechanism. Current data based on intracellular recordings of auditory brain neurons indicate a sequential processing by excitation and inhibition in a local auditory network within the protocerebrum. The response properties of the brain neurons point towards the concept of an autocorrelation-like mechanism underlying female pattern recognition in which delay-lines by long lasting inhibition may be involved.
Glia in Drosophila behavior
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

Glial cells constitute about 10 % of the Drosophila nervous system. The development of genetic and molecular tools has helped greatly in defining different types of glia. Furthermore, considerable progress has been made in unraveling the mechanisms that control the development and differentiation of Drosophila glia. By contrast, the role of glia in adult Drosophila behavior is not well understood. We here summarize recent work describing the role of glia in normal behavior and in Drosophila models for neurological and behavioral disorders.
Photo-tropotaxis based on projection through the cerebral commissure in the terrestrial slug Limax
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

In the terrestrial slug, Limax, eyes are located at the tip of the superior tentacles. This animal has long been believed to show negative phototaxis through tropotaxis, i.e., it compares the two light intensities detected by bilateral eyes to move away from a light source. As one of the possible manifestations of such negative phototaxis, a circling movement has been observed: if one of the superior tentacles is removed, the slugs continuously move in the direction of the removed side. However, there has been no evidence demonstrating that this behavior is actually based on negative phototropotaxis. In this study, we showed that the slugs do not exhibit the circling behavior in the absence of light, and that amputation of the cerebral commissure also diminishes the circling behavior under light. We could detect light-evoked responses during electrical recording from the cut edge of the cerebral commissure. Labeling of the optic nerve with neurobiotin also revealed the presence of the commissural fibers that potentially transmit the light information to the contralateral cerebral ganglion. Our study suggests that the slug’s circling behavior is based on phototropotaxis in which the light intensities detected by the bilateral eyes are compared through the cerebral commissure.
Dichromatic vision in a fruit bat with diurnal proclivities: the Samoan flying fox (Pteropus samoensis)
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

A nocturnal bottleneck during mammalian evolution left a majority of species with two cone opsins, or dichromatic color vision. Primate trichromatic vision arose from the duplication and divergence of an X-linked opsin gene, and is long attributed to tandem shifts from nocturnality to diurnality and from insectivory to frugivory. Opsin gene variation and at least one duplication event exist in the order Chiroptera, suggesting that trichromatic vision could evolve under favorable ecological conditions. The natural history of the Samoan flying fox (Pteropus samoensis) meets these conditions—it is a large bat that consumes nectar and fruit and demonstrates strong diurnal proclivities. It also possesses a visual system that is strikingly similar to that of primates. To explore the potential for opsin gene duplication and divergence in this species, we sequenced the opsin genes of 11 individuals (19 X-chromosomes) from three South Pacific islands. Our results indicate the uniform presence of two opsins with predicted peak sensitivities of ca. 360 and 553 nm. This result fails to support a causal link between diurnal frugivory and trichromatic vision, although it remains plausible that the diurnal activities of P. samoensis have insufficient antiquity to favor opsin gene renovation.
Spectral sensitivity, luminous sensitivity, and temporal resolution of the visual systems in three sympatric temperate coastal shark species
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

We used electroretinography (ERG) to determine spectral and luminous sensitivities, and the temporal resolution (flicker fusion frequency, FFF) in three sympatric (but phylogenetically distant) coastal shark species: Carcharhinus plumbeus (sandbar shark), Mustelus canis (smooth dogfish), and Squalus acanthias (spiny dogfish). Spectral sensitivities were similar (range ~400–600 nm, peak sensitivity ~470 nm), with a high likelihood of rod/cone dichromacy enhancing contrast discrimination. Spiny dogfish were significantly less light sensitive than the other species, whereas their FFF was ~19 Hz at maximum intensities; a value equal to that of sandbar shark and significantly above that of smooth dogfish (~9–12 Hz). This occurred even though experiments on spiny dogfish were conducted at 12 versus 25 °C and 20 °C for experiments on sandbar shark and smooth dogfish, respectively. Although spiny dogfish have a rod-dominated retina (rod:cone ratio 50:1), their visual system appears to have evolved for a relatively high temporal resolution (i.e., high FFF) through a short integration time, with the requisite concomitant reduction in luminous sensitivity. Our results suggest adaptive plasticity in the temporal resolution of elasmobranch visual systems which reflects the importance of the ability to track moving objects such as mates, predators, or prey.
Neurobiology of acoustically mediated predator detection
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

Ultrasound-driven avoidance responses have evolved repeatedly throughout the insecta as defenses against predation by echolocating bats. Although the auditory mechanics of ears and the properties of auditory receptor neurons have been studied in a number of groups, central neural processing of ultrasound stimuli has been examined in only a few cases. In this review, I summarize the neuronal basis for ultrasound detection and predator avoidance in crickets, tettigoniids, moths, and mantises, where central circuits have been studied most thoroughly. Several neuronal attributes, including steep intensity–response functions, high firing rates, and rapid spike conduction emerge as common themes of avoidance circuits. I discuss the functional consequences of these attributes, as well as the increasing complexity with which ultrasound stimuli are represented at successive levels of processing.
Extracellular recordings reveal absence of magneto sensitive units in the avian optic tectum
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

There is a consensus that birds detect the earth’s magnetic field and use some of its features for orientation and homing purposes. Since the late 1960s, when the first solid behavioral evidence of magnetoreception was obtained, much research has been devoted to describing the ethological aspects of this behavior. The neurophysiological basis of magnetoreception has been much less studied, although a frequently cited 1986 report described a high prevalence (70 %) of magneto-sensitive neurons in the pigeon optic tectum with high signal-to-noise ratios (Semm and Demaine, J Comp Physiol A 159:619–625, 1986). Here, we repeated these neurophysiological experiments using anesthetized as well as awake pigeons and new recording techniques. Our data indicate that magneto-sensitive units do not exist in the avian tectum.
Thermal plasticity of skeletal muscle mitochondrial activity and whole animal respiration in a common intertidal triplefin fish, Forsterygion lapillum (Family: Tripterygiidae)
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology B

Oxygen demand generally increases in ectotherms as temperature rises in order to sustain oxidative phosphorylation by mitochondria. The thermal plasticity of ectotherm metabolism, such as that of fishes, dictates a species survival and is of importance to understand within an era of warming climates. Within this study the whole animal O2 consumption rate of a common New Zealand intertidal triplefin fish, Forsterygion lapillum, was investigated at different acclimation temperatures (15, 18, 21, 24 or 25 °C) as a commonly used indicator of metabolic performance. In addition, the mitochondria within permeabilised skeletal muscle fibres of fish acclimated to a moderate temperature (18 °C Cool acclimation group—CA) and a warm temperature (24 °C. Warm acclimation group—WA) were also tested at 18, 24 and 25 °C in different states of coupling and with different substrates. These two levels of analysis were carried out to test whether any peak in whole animal metabolism reflected the respiratory performance of mitochondria from skeletal muscle representing the bulk of metabolic tissue. While standard metabolic rate (SMR- an indicator of total maintenance metabolism) and maximal metabolic rate ($$\dot{M}$$M˙O2max) both generally increased with temperature, aerobic metabolic scope (AMS) was maximal at 24 °C, giving the impression that whole animal (metabolic) performance was optimised at a surprisingly high temperature. Mitochondrial oxygen flux also increased with increasing assay temperature but WA fish showed a lowered response to temperature in high flux states, such as those of oxidative phosphorylation and in chemically uncoupled states of respiration. The thermal stability of mitochondria from WA fish was also noticeably greater than CA fish at 25 °C. However, the predicted contribution of respirational flux to ATP synthesis remained the same in both groups and WA fish showed higher anaerobic activity as a result of high muscle lactate loads in both rested and exhausted states. CA fish had a comparably lower level of resting lactate and took 30 % longer to fatigue than WA fish. Despite some apparent acclimation capacity of skeletal muscle mitochondria, the ATP synthesis capacity of this species is constrained at high temperatures, and that a greater fraction of metabolism in skeletal muscle appears to be supported anaerobically at higher temperatures. The AMS peak at 24 °C does not therefore represent utilisation efficiency of oxygen but, rather, the temperature where scope for oxygen flow is greatest.
Moth hearing and sound communication
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

Active echolocation enables bats to orient and hunt the night sky for insects. As a counter-measure against the severe predation pressure many nocturnal insects have evolved ears sensitive to ultrasonic bat calls. In moths bat-detection was the principal purpose of hearing, as evidenced by comparable hearing physiology with best sensitivity in the bat echolocation range, 20–60 kHz, across moths in spite of diverse ear morphology. Some eared moths subsequently developed sound-producing organs to warn/startle/jam attacking bats and/or to communicate intraspecifically with sound. Not only the sounds for interaction with bats, but also mating signals are within the frequency range where bats echolocate, indicating that sound communication developed after hearing by “sensory exploitation”. Recent findings on moth sound communication reveal that close-range (~ a few cm) communication with low-intensity ultrasounds “whispered” by males during courtship is not uncommon, contrary to the general notion of moths predominantly being silent. Sexual sound communication in moths may apply to many eared moths, perhaps even a majority. The low intensities and high frequencies explain that this was overlooked, revealing a bias towards what humans can sense, when studying (acoustic) communication in animals.
How aquatic water-beetle larvae with small chambered eyes overcome challenges of hunting under water
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

A particularly unusual visual system exists in the visually guided aquatic predator, the Sunburst Diving Beetle, Thermonectus marmoratus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae). The question arises: how does this peculiar visual system function? A series of experiments suggests that their principal eyes (E1 and E2) are highly specialized for hunting. These eyes are tubular and have relatively long focal lengths leading to high image magnification. Their retinae are linear, and are divided into distinct green-sensitive distal and UV and polarization-sensitive proximal portions. Each distal retina, moreover, has many tiers of photoreceptors with rhabdomeres the long axis of which are peculiarly oriented perpendicular to the light path. Based on detailed optical investigations, the lenses of these eyes are bifocal and project focused images onto specific retinal tiers. Behavioral experiments suggest that these larvae approach prey within their eyes’ near-fields, and that they can correctly gauge prey distances even when conventional distance-vision mechanisms are unavailable. In the near-field of these eyes object distance determines which of the many retinal layers receive the best-focused images. This retinal organization could facilitate an unusual distance-vision mechanism. We here summarize past findings and discuss how these eyes allow Thermonectus larvae to be such successful predators.
Analysis of glycylsarcosine transport by lobster intestine using gas chromatography
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology B

Gas chromatography was used to measure transepithelial transport of glycylsarcosine (Gly-Sar) by perfused lobster (Homarus americanus) intestine. Unidirectional and net fluxes of dipeptide across the tissue and luminal factors affecting their magnitude and direction were characterized by perfusing the lumen with the dipeptide and measuring its appearance in saline on the serosal side of the organ. Transmural transport of 10 mM Gly-Sar resulted in serosal accumulation of only the dipeptide; no appearance of corresponding monomeric amino acids glycine or sarcosine was observed. Carrier-mediated and diffusional transmural intestinal transport of Gly-Sar was estimated at 1–15 mM luminal concentrations and followed a curvilinear equation providing a Km = 0.44 ± 0.17 mM, a Jmax = 1.27 ± 0.12 nmol cm−2 min−1, and a diffusional coefficient = 0.026 ± 0.008 nmol cm−2 min−1 mM−1. Unidirectional mucosal to serosal and serosal to mucosal fluxes of 10 mM Gly-Sar provided a significant (p < 0.05) net absorptive flux toward the serosa of 3.54 ± 0.77 nmol cm−2 min−1, further supporting carrier-mediated dipeptide transport across the gut. Alkaline (pH 8.5) luminal pH more than doubled transmural Gly-Sar transport as compared to acidic (pH 5.5) luminal pH, while luminal amino acid-metal chelates (e.g., Leu-Zn-Leu), and high concentrations of amino acids alone significantly (p < 0.001) reduced intestinal Gly-Sar transfer by inhibiting carrier transport of the dipeptide. Proposed mechanisms accounting for intestinal dipeptide transport and luminal factors affecting this process are discussed.
Computational principles underlying recognition of acoustic signals in grasshoppers and crickets
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

Grasshoppers and crickets independently evolved hearing organs and acoustic communication. They differ considerably in the organization of their auditory pathways, and the complexity of their songs, which are essential for mate attraction. Recent approaches aimed at describing the behavioral preference functions of females in both taxa by a simple modeling framework. The basic structure of the model consists of three processing steps: (1) feature extraction with a bank of ‘LN models’—each containing a linear filter followed by a nonlinearity, (2) temporal integration, and (3) linear combination. The specific properties of the filters and nonlinearities were determined using a genetic learning algorithm trained on a large set of different song features and the corresponding behavioral response scores. The model showed an excellent prediction of the behavioral responses to the tested songs. Most remarkably, in both taxa the genetic algorithm found Gabor-like functions as the optimal filter shapes. By slight modifications of Gabor filters several types of preference functions could be modeled, which are observed in different cricket species. Furthermore, this model was able to explain several so far enigmatic results in grasshoppers. The computational approach offered a remarkably simple framework that can account for phenotypically rather different preference functions across several taxa.
Hearing in the sea otter (Enhydra lutris): auditory profiles for an amphibious marine carnivore
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

In this study we examine the auditory capabilities of the sea otter (Enhydra lutris), an amphibious marine mammal that remains virtually unstudied with respect to its sensory biology. We trained an adult male sea otter to perform a psychophysical task in an acoustic chamber and at an underwater apparatus. Aerial and underwater audiograms were constructed from detection thresholds for narrowband signals measured in quiet conditions at frequencies from 0.125–40 kHz. Aerial hearing thresholds were also measured in the presence of octave-band masking noise centered at eight signal frequencies (0.25–22.6 kHz) so that critical ratios could be determined. The aerial audiogram of the sea otter resembled that of sea lions and showed a reduction in low-frequency sensitivity relative to terrestrial mustelids. Best sensitivity was −1 dB re 20 µPa at 8 kHz. Under water, hearing sensitivity was significantly reduced when compared to sea lions and other pinniped species, demonstrating that sea otter hearing is primarily adapted to receive airborne sounds. Critical ratios were more than 10 dB higher than those measured for pinnipeds, suggesting that sea otters are less efficient than other marine carnivores at extracting acoustic signals from background noise, especially at frequencies below 2 kHz.