title: Sexual differences in neural tuning and their effect on active space.
abstract: Sexual differences in receptor tuning are found in the auditory system in at least two species of anuran amphibians and are common in electric fish. Since the boundary of a communication signal's active space is defined in terms of the sensitivity of the receptors to that signal, such sexual differences might result in active-space differences between males and females. In spring peepers, the sexual difference in the auditory system clearly results in a significantly larger active space in females. Among electric fish, however, sexual differences in the spectral tuning of the electroreceptors may not always result in sexual differences in active space.
mesh_terms: D000819:Animal Communication; D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura / Q000502:physiology*; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D004555:Electric Fish / Q000502:physiology*; D004560:Electricity; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D012679:Sense Organs / Q000502:physiology*; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013016:Sound