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The Gems of the Past: A Brief History of Lateral Line Research in the Context of the Hearing Sciences

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The Lateral Line System

Part of the book series: Springer Handbook of Auditory Research ((SHAR,volume 48))

Abstract

This chapter introduces the Springer Handbook of Auditory Research volume on the lateral line, while also reviewing the key historical players, discoveries, and debates that have shaped our understanding of lateral line function, especially in the context of the hearing sciences. Early discoveries, including the first description of the lateral line in the 17th century, as well as long-standing debates during the 19th and 20th centuries on the functional role of the lateral line with respect to the auditory system, are highlighted. In addition, several examples are described of how research on the lateral line has contributed to the hearing sciences, but also to a broader understanding of hair cell systems in general. Finally, current and future uses of the zebrafish lateral line as a model system to address basic questions in the hearing sciences, including the molecular, cellular, and genetic basis of hair cell loss and regeneration, are discussed.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    There are rare cases in which parts of the lateral line system may be adapted for pressure detection via a close association with compressible gas cavities, e.g., clupeids (Denton & Blaxter, 1976; Gray, 1984), chaetodontids (Webb & Blum, 1990), and some silurids (Bleckmann et al., 1991). There is also evidence that the lateral line/gas cavity association may be involved in ultrasound detection in some clupeids (Wilson et al., 2009).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences and J. P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA

    Sheryl Coombs

  2. Institute of Zoology, University of Bonn, 53115, Bonn, Germany

    Horst Bleckmann

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  1. Sheryl Coombs
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  2. Horst Bleckmann
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Correspondence to Sheryl Coombs .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences and JP Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, USA

    Sheryl Coombs

  2. University of Bonn, Institute of Zoology, Bonn, Germany

    Horst Bleckmann

  3. Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA

    Richard R. Fay

  4. Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA

    Arthur N. Popper

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Coombs, S., Bleckmann, H. (2013). The Gems of the Past: A Brief History of Lateral Line Research in the Context of the Hearing Sciences. In: Coombs, S., Bleckmann, H., Fay, R., Popper, A. (eds) The Lateral Line System. Springer Handbook of Auditory Research, vol 48. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/2506_2013_11

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