ISSN:
1432-1351
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
Notes:
Summary 1. Advertisement calls of the social diurnal tropical dendrobatid frogPhyllobates tricolor are produced exclusively by sexually active territorial males. They show a relatively simple frequency and temporal pattern (Fig. 2). 2. Changes in behavior of conspecifics are released by short- or long-term presentation or deprivation of advertisement calls. Depending on the sound amplitude, artificial stimulation with this call type either elicits antiphonal calling or phonotactic responses in sexually active territorial males. Gravid females respond phonotactically. Under permanent socio-acoustic stimulation by conspecifics, males and females show reproductive behavior throughout the year (Figs. 3, 4). Deprivation from conspecifics and from advertisement calls by isolating individuals of both sexes for 3 months results in cessation of sexual activity in both sexes. These results indicate that advertisement calls trigger both short-term behavioral effects and the reproductive state in this tropical anuran species. 3. The high resolution (3H)2 DG-autoradiographic technique has been used to localize and quantitatively map changes in metabolic brain activity due to advertisement call stimulation and deprivation (Figs. 5, 6). When the relative amount of (3H)2DG-uptake (¯x) in the brain of control, non-stimulated, sexually active frogs (C) is compared to deprived, sexually inactive frogs (D) and stimulated, sexually active frogs (S), the following significant relationships are obtained: (a) Label uptake by dorsal acoustic nucleus, superior olive, magnocellular and principal nucleus of the torus semicircularis: ¯x D〉¯x S〉¯x C. These effects appear to be related to the reproductive state and to advertisement call stimulation. (b) Label uptake by reticular nucleus, interpeduncular nucleus and male habenula and amygdala: ¯x D-¯x S〉¯x C. These effects are thought to be caused by arousal. (c) Label uptake by laminar nucleus of the torus semicircularis, lateral thalamic nucleus, corpus geniculatum laterale/nucleus Bellonci, dorsomedial pallium, striatum: ¯x S〉¯x D-¯x C. These effects may be induced by advertisement call perception and released motor responses. We assume that these identified areas of altered functional metabolic brain activity play an important role in the acoustic communication system of anurans.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00611941
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