Biomechanics of vibration reception in the bullfrog,Rana catesbeiana

Summary

The opercularis system (OPS) of amphibians consists of an opercularis muscle that connects the shoulder girdle skeleton to the operculum, a movable element in the oval window of the otic capsule. The role of the OPS in reception of vibrations was examined in bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) tested in various postures that manipulated differential motion between the shoulder girdle (the origin of the opercularis muscle) and skull (including the inner ear). Amplitude and phase relationship of motions of the suprascapular cartilage of the shoulder girdle and the posterior skull were also measured during these tests.

• 1. Microphonic responses to vertical vibrations from 25–200 Hz were typically highest when frogs were in a normal, sitting posture with the head held off the vibrating platform. Responses from animals in which the head directly contacted the platform were often less (by up to 10 dB at certain frequencies). Responses from all test positions were highest at lower frequencies, especially between 50–100 Hz.

• 2. Suprascapular accelerations were typically highest in the normal, sitting posture, and at lower frequencies (50–75 Hz) were often greater than that of the vibrating platform by up to 8 dB. The shoulder girdle skeleton of the bullfrog is therefore readily affected by vertical substrate motion.

• 3. The amplitude of microphonic responses in the different test postures did not correspond well with head acceleration. Rather, response amplitude corresponded best with the absolute difference between shoulder and head motion. For example, in the normal posture, suprascapular motion was much greater than head motion, and responses were relatively high. If only the head was vibrated, head motion was high and shoulder motion low, and responses also were relatively high. If the head and body were vibrated together, their motions were similar, and responses to the same platform accelerations were often reduced. Phase differences between shoulder and head motions were small at the frequencies examined and may be of little functional significance. The importance of differences in shoulder and head motion suggests that the resulting differential motion of the operculum and inner ear fluids can produce waves that stimulate appropriate end organs (such as the saccule).

• 4. Removal of the opercularis muscle reduced responses up to 18 dB at certain frequencies in some of the test postures. The most significant reductions were observed in those postures with a significant difference between shoulder and head motion (such as the normal posture). The opercularis muscle is therefore effective in translating differential motion of the head and shoulder into motion of the operculum relative to the inner ear fluids.

• 5. Vertical vibrations produced higher microphonic responses than longitudinal or transverse vibrations of the same acceleration. Also, removal of the opercularis muscle produced a greater decrease in responses to vertical vibrations than in responses to the other types of vibrations. This suggests that the OPS of the bullfrog is specialized for reception of vertical substrate motions, such as Rayleigh waves, natural surface waves with a largely vertical energy component.