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Acoustic signals are generally encoded in the peripheral auditory system of vertebrates by a duality scheme. For frequency components that fall within the excitatory tuning curve, individual eighth nerve fibers can encode the effective spectral energy by a spike-rate code, while simultaneously preserving the signal waveform periodicity of lower frequency components by phase-locked spike-train discharges. To explore how robust this duality of representation may be in the presence of noise, we recorded the responses of auditory fibers in the eighth nerve of the Tokay gecko to tonal stimuli when masking noise was added simultaneously. We found that their spike-rate functions reached plateau levels fairly rapidly in the presence of noise, so the ability to signal the presence of a tone by a concomitant change in firing rate was quickly lost. On the other hand, their synchronization functions maintained a high degree of phase-locked firings to the tone even in the presence of high-intensity masking noise, thus enabling a robust detection of the tonal signal. Critical ratios (CR) and critical bandwidths showed that in the frequency range where units are able to phaselock to the tonal periodicity, the CR bands were relatively narrow and the bandwidths were independent of noise level. However, to higher frequency tones where phaselocking fails and only spike-rate codes apply, the CR bands were much wider and depended upon noise level, so that their ability to filter tones out of a noisy background degraded with increasing noise levels. The greater robustness of phase-locked temporal encoding contrasted with spike-rate coding verifies a important advantage in using lower frequency signals for communication in noisy environments.

A systematic study of the encoding properties of 146 auditory nerve fibers in the Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko, L) was conducted with respect to pure tones and two-tone rate suppression. Our aim was a comprehensive understanding of the peripheral encoding of simple tonal stimuli and their representation by temporal synchronization and spike rate codes as a prelude to subsequent studies of more complex signals. Auditory nerve fibers in the Tokay gecko have asymmetrical, V-shaped excitatory tuning curves with best excitatory frequencies that range from 200-5100 Hz and thresholds between 4-35 dB SPL. A low-frequency excitatory 'tail' extends far into the low-frequency range and two-tone suppression is present only on the high frequency side of the tuning curve. The response properties to pure tones at different loci within a tuning curve can differ greatly, due to evident interactions between the representations of temporal, spectral and intensity stimulus features. For frequencies below 1250 Hz, pure tones are encoded by both temporal synchronization and spike rate codes, whereas above this frequency a fiber's ability to encode the waveform periodicity is lost and only a rate code predominates. These complimentary representations within a tuning curve raise fundamental issues which need to be addressed in interpreting how more complex, bioacoustic communication signals are represented in the peripheral and central auditory system. And since auditory nerve fibers in the Tokay gecko exhibit tonal sensitivity, selective frequency tuning, and iso-intensity and iso-frequency contours that seem comparable to similar measures in birds and mammals, these issues likely apply to most higher vertebrates in general. The simpler wiring diagram of the reptilian auditory system, coupled with the Tokay gecko's remarkable vocalizations, make this animal a good evolutionary model in which to experimentally explore the encoding of more complex sounds of communicative significance.

This paper describes a method which we have developed for quantifying the temporal regularity of neural spike trains in the sensory nervous system. Our method relies on the use of a modified correlation approach for identifying response firing patterns. We apply the concept of an ambiguity function and related coefficients to measure the tonic/phase character and statistical variability of spike patterns. We tested this method in recordings from auditory nerve fibers of the green treefrog (Hyla cinerea) in response to pure tone, multi-tone, and gaussian white noise. Our results indicate that there is a great deal of variability in the trains of spike times generated by any given fiber in response to identically repeated stimulus presentations. Nevertheless, despite this statistical jitter of the pattern to repetitive stimulation, the spike response trains from a single fiber maintain a high degree of individual detectability in signal metric space. The procedures in our method can be implemented in a relatively simple way on a Macintosh computer and the speed is fast enough for real-time spike analysis. This kind of quantification may especially be useful in studying habituation and plasticity in neural spike train data, as well as in judging the selectivity within the neural code of an individual fiber for particular stimulus features.

In this study we have examined the sensitivity of auditory nerve fibers in the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) to changes in the phase spectrum of an equal-amplitude multi-harmonic stimulus which spanned the bullfrog's range of hearing. To assess peripheral auditory phase sensitivity, changes in the response properties of VIIIth nerve fibers were measured when the relative phase angle of a single harmonic component nearest a unit's best excitatory frequency was systematically varied. The results revealed that shifts in the phase spectrum are encoded in at least 3 different ways by the peripheral auditory system of the bullfrog: 1) by changes in the degree of spike synchronization of fibers from both inner ear organs (the amphibian papilla and the basilar papilla) to the fundamental waveform period; 2) by changes in the shapes of period histograms of fibers from both organs; and 3) by changes in the spike rates of amphibian papilla fibers. The presence of phase sensitivity in the peripheral auditory system of the bullfrog indicates that information regarding the fine-temporal waveshape and the underlying phase spectrum of an acoustic signal is contained within the spike trains of VIIIth nerve fibers. Similar sensitivities to changes in the phase spectra and temporal waveshapes of acoustic signals may also be present in the peripheral auditory system of other vertebrates. Such studies could provide valuable insight into the role that phase spectra and temporal waveshape may play in bioacoustic communication.

Anesthetic agents were compared in order to identify the most appropriate agent for use during surgery and electrophysiological recordings in the auditory system of the tokay gecko (Gekko gecko). Each agent was first screened for anesthetic and analgesic properties and, if found satisfactory, it was subsequently tested in electrophysiological recordings in the auditory nerve. The following anesthetic agents fulfilled our criteria and were selected for further screening: sodium pentobarbital (60 mg/kg); sodium pentobarbital (30 mg/kg) and oxymorphone (1 mg/kg); 3.2% isoflurane; ketamine (440 mg/kg) and oxymorphone (1 mg/kg). These agents were subsequently compared on the basis of their effect on standard response properties of auditory nerve fibers. Our results verified that different anesthetic agents can have significant effects on most of the parameters commonly used in describing the basic response properties of the auditory system in vertebrates. We therefore conclude from this study that the selection of an appropriate experimental protocol is critical and must take into consideration the effects of anesthesia on auditory responsiveness. In the tokay gecko, we recommend 3.2% isoflurane for general surgical procedures; and for electrophysiological recordings in the eighth nerve we recommend barbiturate anesthesia of appropriate dosage in combination if possible with an opioid agent to provide additional analgesic action.

Twenty four castrated male, 6 intact male, and 11 intact female Hyla cinerea were injected subcutaneously with 25 micrograms arginine-vasotocin (AVT) and induced to call 1 h later in response to the playback of a conspecific mating call. Eighteen castrated males and 8 intact females were implanted 5 mg androgen pellets for 3 weeks prior to the neuropeptide injection. Among castrated males, 6/9 testosterone (T) implanted, 4/9 dihydrotestosterone (DHT) implanted and 2/6 non implanted individuals produced calls after being administered AVT. 5/6 intact non implanted males and 6/8 T intact implanted females also called, and 3 intact non implanted females remained silent after the injection. Evoked calls had a mid-frequency spectral peak at about 1900 Hz which is absent in field-recorded mating calls of this species. Calls of implanted females and castrated non implanted males were shorter than those of castrated implanted and intact non implanted males. Audiograms measured before hormone implants showed dips of enhanced sensitivity at about 0.5, 0.9 and 3.0 kHz in males and females. After AVT injection, thresholds at frequencies within the 0.7-1.5 kHz range were increased in castrated males. Such reduction in sensitivity points to an inhibition of the auditory system during hormone induced vocal activation.

Male Puerto Rican treefrogs, Eleutherodactylus coqui, produce a two-note call: a 100-msec constant frequency 'Co' note, followed by a longer, upward sweeping 'Qui' note. Previous behavioral studies have shown that males respond selectively to natural and synthetic call notes of 100 msec duration, whereas preliminary results suggest that females respond preferentially to the second note in the male's call. In the present study, we first show that the basilar papilla in the inner ear is tuned differentially in males and females. Comparisons were next made between cells in the eighth nerve and midbrain torus semicircularis of firing rate vs. duration functions in order to help determine the underlying neural mechanisms responsible for the behavioral selectivity to notes of 100 msec duration. A model for detection of vocalizations of specific durations is postulated and discussed in the light of the observed calling behavior of the male as well as the response properties of a class of cells found in the torus semicircularis.

Binaural cells in the superior olive normally have identical frequency sensitiveness when acoustically stimulated via either ear. The precision with which central connections are reformed after auditory nerve regeneration can be determined by comparing the frequency sensitiveness of the two binaural inputs to these cells. Three months after cutting the nerve and subsequent regeneration in the leopard frog, binaural cells once again have well-matched frequency sensitivities. Thus, the specificity of central connectivity that characterizes the auditory system in normal animals is restored after regeneration.

The inner ear of the leopard frog, Rana pipiens, receives sound via two separate pathways: the tympanic-columellar pathway and an extra-tympanic route. The relative efficiency of the two pathways was investigated. Laser interferometry measurements of tympanic vibration induced by free-field acoustic stimulation reveal a broadly tuned response with maximal vibration at 800 and 1500 Hz. Vibrational amplitude falls off rapidly above and below these frequencies so that above 2 kHz and below 300 Hz tympanic vibration is severely reduced. Electrophysiological measurements of the thresholds of single eighth cranial nerve fibers from both the amphibian and basilar papillae in response to pure tones were made in such a way that the relative efficiency of tympanic and extratympanic transmission could be assessed for each fiber. Thresholds for the two routes are very similar up to 1.0 kHz, above which tympanic transmission eventually becomes more efficient by 15-20 dB. By varying the relative phase of the two modes of stimulation, a reduction of the eighth nerve response can be achieved. When considered together, the measurements of tympanic vibration and the measurements of tympanic and extratympanic transmission thresholds suggest that under normal conditions in this species (1) below 300 Hz extratympanic sound transmission is the main source of inner ear stimulation; (2) for most of the basilar papilla frequency range (i.e., above 1.2 kHz) tympanic transmission is more important; and (3) both routes contribute to the stimulation of amphibian papilla fibers tuned between those points. Thus acoustic excitation of the an uran's inner ear depends on a complex interaction between tympanic and extratympanic sound transmission.

In Rana pipiens, single unit recordings from the pretrigeminal nucleus (pre-V), a nucleus involved in call production, demonstrated neurons that respond to auditory stimuli. Most of these neurons had V-shaped tuning curves, with best excitatory frequencies between 200-1400 Hz, thresholds between 31-87 dB SPL, latencies between 10-50 ms, and Q (10 dB) between 1.3-5.1. The number of pre-V neurons that responded to acoustic stimulation increased after gonadotropin injections, and appeared to increase during the breeding season. In addition, a small number of neurons with more complex response properties, such as W-shaped tuning curves or sensitivity to white noise but not to pure tones, appeared after hormone treatments. The hormonal and possible seasonal effects on pre-V auditory activity suggest that the auditory input to this vocal nucleus may play a role in reproductive behavior.

When a primordial eye was transplanted to the ear position in Rana pipiens embryos, the optic nerve from the ectopic eye penetrated the medulla and invariably established a tract in the dorsolateral white matter of the ipsilateral spinal cord. In response to visual stimulation of the transplanted eye, extracellular recordings with metal microelectrodes were conducted with the spinal cords of post-metamorphic animals. Visual activity in the spinal cord could only be recorded in those experimental animals in which the transplanted optic nerve succeeded in penetrating the medulla. This activity was frequently encountered in the gray matter of the cord well below the dorsolateral position of the transplanted optic tract. The discharge characteristics and adaptation properties of the visual activity were often similar to that of optic nerve fibers from normal eyes suggesting that axons or their collaterals branch off from the transplanted optic tract and arborize within the spinal cord. However, occassionally stimulation of the transplanted eye evoked activity with adaptation and/or response characteristics unlike that of normal optic nerve fibers. Visual activity in the spincal cords of our experimental animals could be driven by moving small dark objects within circumscribed regions in the visual field of the transplanted eye. However we were unable to find any evidene of a systematic mapping of the transplanted retina within these abnormally penetrated spinal cords.

This evoked potential study of the bullfrog's auditory thalamic area (an auditory responsive region in the posterior dorsal thalamus) shows that complex processing, distinct from that reported in lower auditory regions, occurs in this center. An acoustic stimulus consisting of two tones, one which stimulates either the low-frequency or the mid-frequency sensitive population of auditory nerve fibers from the amphibian papilla and the other the high-frequency sensitive population of fibers from the basilar papilla, evoked a maximal response. The amplitude of the response to the simultaneous stimulation of the two auditory organs was, in some locations, much larger than the linear sum of the responses to the individual tones presented separately. Bimodal spectral stimuli that had relatively long rise-times (greater than or equal to 100 ms) evoked much larger responses than similar sounds with short rise-times. The optimal rise-times were close to those occurring in the bullfrog's mating call. The response was dependent on the waveform periodicity and harmonic content, with a fundamental frequency of 200 Hz producing a larger response than those with fundamentals of 50, 100 or 300 Hz. Six of the natural calls in the bullfrog's vocal repertoire were tested and the mating call and warning call were found to evoke the best responses. Each of these calls stimulate the two auditory organs simultaneously. The evoked response had a long refractory period which could not be altered by lesioning the efferent telencephalic pathways. The type of spectral and temporal information extracted by the auditory thalamic area suggests that this center is involved in processing complex sounds and likely plays an important role in the bullfrog's detection of some of its vocal signals.

Auditory responses were recorded from single units in the eighth nerve and in the midbrain torus semicircularis of the leopard frog (Rana pipiens). Acoustic stimuli included sinusoidally amplitude-modulated (AM) tones and noise, as well as pure tones. Mean spike rates were measured at various rates of AM, and the degree to which a unit's spikes were restricted to a particular phase of the modulation cycle was described by a synchronization coefficient. The firing rate of eighth-nerve fibers was largely independent of the rate of AM over the modulation range 10 to 150 Hz. Further, the general shape of the spike rate vs. AM-rate function was invariant with either depth of modulation or sound-pressure level (SPL). Although virtually all eighth-nerve fibers exhibited significant synchronization to the envelope of AM, the shape of the synchronization function depended on the unit's best-excitatory frequency (BEF). Fibers with highest BEF's, presumed to innervate the basilar papilla, generally showed greater synchronization as the AM rate was increased (up to 100-150 Hz). Fibers tuned to the low-and midfrequency region, which innervate the amphibian papilla, exhibited low-pass synchronization characteristics. As the depth of modulation was reduced, the degree of synchronization of eighth-nerve fibers decreased. For a given depth of modulation an increase in sound level tended to decrease the degree of synchronization, but significant synchronization could still be observed at stimulus intensities at least 65 dB above threshold. On the basis of the spike rate vs. AM-rate functions, the temporal selectivity of single cells in the torus could be characterized by five response types: AM nonselective (spike rate was largely independent of the AM rate); AM high-pass (activity increased as the AM rate was increased); AM low-pass (response was greatest for slow AM rates and decreased at high rates); AM band-suppression (these neurons responded well to low and high AM rates, but responded weakly to intermediate rates); and AM-tuned (spike rate was greatest over a narrow range of modulation rates). In these measurements the depth of modulation was held constant at 100%. The five response categories are not discrete, but rather reflect representative examples along a continuum with regard to temporal selectivity. The temporal selectivity exhibited by toral units in their firing rates was not evident in their AM-synchronization functions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Evoked potentials were recorded from the posterior dorsal thalamus of green treefrogs (Hyla cinerea) in response to single tones and combinations of two and three tones. 1. The responses to two tones were largest when one of the component tones was 500 Hz and when the second component was between 2000 and 4000 Hz (Fig.3). 2. The response to 500 + 3000 Hz showed nonlinear facilitation; i.e., the amplitude of the response was greater than the sum of the responses to the component tones alone (Figs. 4, 5). This result provides evidence that cells functioning as 'AND' gates will be found in this center. 3. When a third tone around 1200 Hz was added to a stimulus of 500 + 3000 Hz a 65% decrease in the evoked response amplitude occurred (Fig. 6). 4. The largest evoked response amplitude to a two-tone stimulus (500 + 3000 Hz) occurred when the rise-time was less than 50 ms (Fig. 7). 5. The two-tone tuning was found to be temperature dependent. The optimal lower frequency tone shifted downward with decreasing temperatures (Fig. 8). 6. When the temperatures of the neurophysiological and the behavioral experiments are matched, the optimal stimuli for evoking a large response are closely correlated to the parameters of the acoustic stimuli preferred by gravid H. cinerea females in discrimination tests. This center therefore appears to be very important for the processing of complex species-specific sounds.

The central nervous system of the gray treefrog includes a class of auditory neurons which respond selectively to particular rates of amplitude modulation. When body temperature is increased, the temporal tuning of these neurons shifts to higher rates of modulation. This shift in tuning parallels the temperature-dependent shift in the trill rate in the male's mating call, thus constituting the neural correlate of temperature coupling between the female's behavioral selectivity and the temporal signal characteristics in the male's call.

A new microelectrode implantation technique is described for recording electrical activity in the brains of awake, unrestrained small animals. The technique employs a miniature heating element and wax seal to enable movement of the microelectrode. Preliminary results in toads (Bufo americanus) are presented as an example of the technique.

Unlike other known species of crickets, Amphiacusta maya in Central America mates in groups. Experimentally silenced males experience reduced mating success, not owing to decreased receptivity by females, but owing to increased time spent fighting with other males that persistently interrupt silent courtships. Thus, the data indicate that "courtship" chirping functions as a warning to other males, rather than as a signal to females.

A single 2-hour exposure to auditory stimulation at any point during the final 3 days of incubation accelerates the hatching of Japanese quail. The 3-day sensitive period includes both prenatal and perinatal stages of incubation. So far as is known these results provide the first unequivocal evidence that short-term prenatal sensory stimulation can affect the development of an avian embryo.

Single fibers in eight nerve of anurans exhibit varying rates of short-term adaptation in response to long duration tonal stimuli. In this report, we show that the response of an anuran auditory nerve fiber to a short probe tone presented 10-1000 ms after a long duration adapting tone depends on the fiber's state of adaptation due to previous stimulation. These effects are most pronounced in fibers presumably originating from the amphibian papilla. Within this group of fibers, fast-adapting fibers, which are most sensitive to mid-frequency tones, showed greater response decrement than did slow-adapting fibers, which are most sensitive to low-frequency tones. Fibers tuned to higher frequency ranges, which presumably originate from the basilar papilla, showed response decrements similar to those shown by slow-adapting fibers from the amphibian papilla. These results indicate that anuran auditory nerve fibers, unlike mammalian auditory nerve fibers, are not homogeneous in their sensitivities to the effects of prior stimulation.

The mating (advertisement) calls of two sibling species of gray treefrogs, Hyla versicolor and Hyla chrysoscelis, are spectrally identical but differ in trill rate; being higher for H. chrysoscelis. Single-unit recordings were made from the torus semicircularis of both species to investigate the neural mechanisms by which this species-specific temporal feature is analyzed. Using sinusoidally amplitude-modulated (AM) white noise as a stimulus, the temporal selectivity of these midbrain auditory neurons could be described by five response categories: 'AM nonselective' (34%); 'AM high-pass' (7%); 'AM low-pass' (6%); 'AM band-suppression' (12%); 'AM tuned' (40%). The distributions of temporal tuning values (i.e., modulation rate at which each AM-tuned unit responds maximally) are broad; in both species, neurons were found which were tuned to modulation rates greater than those found in their advertisement calls. Nevertheless, the temporal tuning values for H. versicolor (median = 25 Hz) were significantly lower than those for H. chrysoscelis (median = 32.5 Hz). The temporal selectivities of AM band-suppression neurons were found to be temperature dependent. The modulation rate at which a response minimum was observed shifted to higher values as the temperature was elevated. These results extend our earlier findings of temperature-dependent temporal selectivity in the gray treefrog. The selectivity of band-suppression and AM-tuned neurons to various rates of amplitude modulation was largely, but not completely, independent of whether sinusoidal or natural forms of AM were used.

Anurans (frogs and toads) represent an example of peripheral specialization of the auditory systems. Their inner ear contains two distinct auditory organs: the amphibian papilla and the basilar papilla. Each organ is tuned to different species-specific frequency ranges. Because of this peripheral specialization, anurans offer an excellent opportunity to explore neural decoding of complex sounds in the central auditory system.

Acoustic playback experiments with calling males in their natural habitat and two-choice orientation experiments with females indicate that males and females of the neotropical tree frog Elutherodactylus coqui respond to different notes in the two-note call of the male. This functional dichotomy of the two notes in the male's call reflects a difference in the distribution of the best excitatory frequencies of primary auditory neurons for the males and females. To the best of our knowledge, Eleutherodactylus is the first known example of a vertebrate in which the peripheral auditory sensitivity shows a sexual difference.

The vocal organ, or syrinx, of oscine birds has two parts, each of which has generally been presumed to operate independently of the other. A significant counter-example is now demonstrated in the production of a common vocalization by the black-capped chickadee (Parus atricapillus), in which the two acoustic sources interact in a nonlinear fashion. This bird produces a sound with multiple frequency components that are heterodyne products resulting from cross-modulation between two signals, thus providing evidence that avian phonation can involve cooperative coupling between the two syringeal sources.

The phenomenon of two-tone suppression was studied quantitatively in the peripheral auditory system of the green treefrog (Hyla cinerea). Linear relationships were found between best excitatory and best suppressor frequency, between response thresholds at these frequencies, between Q 10dB-values of excitatory and suppressor tuning curves and best excitatory frequency, and between both Q 10dB-values.

We describe an optical technique for measurement of mechanical vibrations in the auditory organs of living animals. The technique uses light scattered from the vibrating structure and offers several new advantages. Better than 1 angstrom sensitivity, 10 micrometers spatial resolution, and > 70 decibels dynamic range are achieved. Illustrative measurements of the mechanical response of the tympanic membrane of crickets (Gryllidae) are reported.

Right or left eye primordia of Shumway stage 16-18 Rana pipiens embryos were transplanted to the position normally occupied by the ear, where they developed into externally normal eyes. Ganglion cell density in the retina of the transplanted eye was significantly lower than the ganglion cell density in the animal's normal eyes. No significant difference was observed between normal and transplanted inner and outer nuclear layers. In several preparations a large piece of embryonic forebrain was included in the initial eye graft. Optic nerves from the transplanted eyes penetrated this transplanted forebrain and established a dorsocaudal growth trajectory relative to the ectopic tissue's original anterior-posterior and dorsal-ventral axes. After traversing the forebrain, the transplanted optic nerve fibers penetrated the medulla where they invaraibly grew dorsocaudally to take up and maintain a dorsolateral position in the white matter of the spinal cord. The consistent dorsocaudal trajectory established by the translocated optic tract in the ectopic forebrain and in the hindbrain and spinal cord is very similar to the growth trajectory in the normal diencephalon, suggesting that dorsocaudal growth relative to the three major axes of the neural tube is an inherent property of optic nerve fibers. These results also suggest that the polarity cues which guide normal optic tract growth are not unique to the diencephalic regions of the neural tube.

1. The response patterns of single cells to monaural and binaural acoustic stimuli were studied in the dorsal medullary nucleus of the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana). This nucleus represents the first ascending center in the anuran's central auditory nervous system. 2. Of the 142 cells isolated, 75 units responded only to monaural stimulation. Approximately 80% of these monaural cells could be excited by the ipsilateral ear, while the remaining 20% received their excitatory input from the contralateral ear. The other 67 units responded to binaural stimuli. Of these binaural cells, 14 could be excited by either contralateral or ipsilateral stimuli, and the threshold and best excitatory frequency were similar for each ear (EE). The other 53 binaural cells (EI) could be excited by stimulation of one ear and inhibited by stimulation of the other ear; for almost all of these cells the contralateral ear was excitatory and the ipsilateral ear was inhibitory. The best inhibitory frequency for one ear was approximately the same as the best excitatory frequency for the other ear, and the threshold for inhibition was near the threshold for excitation. 3. The tuning curves for all of the cells in the dorsal medullary nucleus were unimodal with "Q" values ranging from 0.4 to 4. The excitatory thresholds were widely scattered between 22 and 115 dB SPL. 4. The distribution of best excitatory frequencies for the monaural cells comprised three groups: 200-300, 500-800, and 900-1,600 Hz. The best excitatory frequencies of the binaural cells were scattered over this entire range, with a broad peak around 200-800 Hz. 5. Approximately 80% of the cells in the dorsal nucleus responded tonically throughout the duration of an excitatory tone burst. The remaining 20% of the cells responded phasically during the transient stages of a tone burst over a wide intensity range. 6. Response latencies were compared for the two types of monaural cells to tones at their best exciatatory frequencies at 10 dB above threshold. The latencies for the contralaterally excitable cells were just a few milliseconds longer than the latencies for the ipsilaterally excitable cells. For binaural cells the latency for contralateral stimulation was only 1-2 ms longer than for ipsilateral stimulation. It was concluded that the contralateral input to the dorsal medullary nucleus is not of efferent descending origin from higher auditory centers. 7. All of the binaural EI cells were sensitive to small interaural intensity differences and many were also sensitive to minute interaural time differences. These cells likely play a role in localization of sounds of significance to anurans.

Two auditory responsive regions in the telencephalon of the bullfrog were localized by combining systematic evoked potential depth recordings with subsequent histological studies. Large negative potentials (n1) from the ventral striatum and large positive potentials (p1) from the medial pallium were recorded in response to complex sounds with parameters similar to those found in the species-specific vocalizations. Simple acoustic stimuli, such as clicks and single tones, failed to excite these regions. Although the source of the auditory afferents to the medial pallium is presently uncertain, based on our electrophysiological recordings and previous anatomical studies it seems likely that the ventral striatum is the next ascending area above the auditory thalamus in the anuran auditory pathway.

The ability of auditory fibers in the anuran's VIIIth nerve to regenerate back into the central nervous system after their axons have been served was studied electrophysiologically and anatomically. Single unit recordings in the regenerated portion of the nerve indicate that: (1) fibers from both the amphibian and basilar papillae regenerate; (2) tuning curves of regenerated fibers, as in normal fibers, are 'V' shaped and retain their sharp frequency selectivity; (3) latency and threshold measurements of regenerated fibers are similar to values obtained in intact nerves. Filling the posterior branch of the regenerated VIIIth nerve with horseradish peroxidase indicates that fibers in this branch remain together within the nerve during regeneration and succeed in terminating in their correct target nuclei and no others.

Multi-unit response from the torus semicircularis were recorded to obtain neural audiograms for five different species, subspecies and races of the genus Bufo:Bufo b.bufo, Bufo b. spinosus, two races of Bufo viridis, and Bufo americanus. All of the audiograms were clearly bimodal, with a low frequency peak and a high frequency peak. A less pronounced but distinguishable intermediate peak seems to be an indication of trimodality. In the low-frequency range, the audiograms of the five groups differed little or not at all. There were pronounced differences, however, in the high-frequency range. This frequency band includes the frequencies of the conspecific mating calls. The best matching between call frequency and auditory best frequency was found in the Bufo viridis group. While it is likely that factors other than the signal characteristics in the vocal repertoire may shape the sensitivity of the auditory system, it is notable that those anuran species in which the mating call clearly facilitates reproduction have a more pronounced sensitivity peak at the frequencies in their mating calls., (Copyright © 1981. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Amplitude modulation is a predominant temporal feature in many vocal signals. The leopard frog, Rana pipiens, has a class of neurons in the central auditory system that respond selectively to particular rates of amplitude modulation; these neurons can be characterized by a temporal tuning curve. Such selectivity is absent in the peripheral auditory system. This type of transformation may be fundamental in processing temporal information in the vertebrate sensory nervous system.

The frequency sensitivity of the auditory nervous system of cricket frogs (Acris) varies geographically. This variation is closely matched to the spectral energy in their mating calls, thus enabling them to respond preferentially to the calls of their local dialect.