Vocalization control in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) during locomotion behavior.
The vocalization behavior of Mongolian gerbils, a model animal of auditory physiology, was examined. A pair of gerbils was placed in a chamber, and their species-specific vocalizations and locomotive behaviors were recorded and analyzed. Two types of calls were predominantly produced: high-frequency upward frequency-modulated (HU-FM) calls and low-frequency multi-harmonic frequency-modulated (LM-FM) calls. Emission rates of HU-FM calls significantly decreased as the distance between the two gerbils increased, and playback of simulated HU-FM calls increased the emission rates. Acoustic analysis of HU-FM calls showed that the calls exhibited a stereotypic spectro-temporal structure including a fixed inter-onset interval (100-175 ms) and that individual differences in the frequency could convey the body size of the callers. The timing of HU-FM calls was highly synchronized with jump movements when an animal vocalized while jumping, suggesting the existence of tight locomotor-vocal coupling. Conversely, LM-FM calls were observed only when the gerbils tactilely contacted with each other while fighting over a food. These results suggest that Mongolian gerbils change the rates of call emissions and call types (e.g., LM-FM or HU-FM calls) in response to changes in visual and possibly tactile and auditory information. The functions of both calls are discussed in terms of their acoustic structures.
Department of Biomedical Information, Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, 1-3 Miyakodani, Tatara, Kyotanabe-city, Kyoto, 610-0321, Japan.
Kohei
K
Nishiyama
Kohta I
KI
Kobayasi
Hiroshi
H
Riquimaroux
D000818:Animals; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005849:Gerbillinae / Q000502:physiology*; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013018:Sound Spectrography; D014828:Vocalization, Animal / Q000502:physiology*