Skip Navigation

American Zoologist 1980 20(1):247-254; doi:10.1093/icb/20.1.247
© 1980 by The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Request Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by WEBSTER, D. B
Right arrow Articles by WEBSTER, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Morphological Adaptations of the Ear in the Rodent Family Heteromyidae1

DOUGLAS B WEBSTER and MOLLY WEBSTER
Kresge Hearing Research Laboratory of the South Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Louisiana State University Medical Center New Orleans, Louisiana 70119

Middle and inner ear structure and auditory sensitivity have been studied in all five genera of the rodent family Heteromyidae. In the most xericc genera (Dipodomys and Microdipodops) the middle ears are greatly inflated the tympano-ossicular system very efficient the organ of Corti extremely modified and low-frequency sensitivity extremely acute. In the most mesic genera (Heteromys and Liomys) the middle and inner ears show few modifications and the low frequency sensitivity is rather poor. Perognathus is intermediate in habitat structure, and low frequency sensitivity. Experimental data demonstrate that the low frequency sensitivity in Dipodomys is adaptive in predator avoidance.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.