Ear and hearing in Sphenodon punctatus.
- 1 November 1976
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Vol. 73 (11) , 4244-4246
- https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.73.11.4244
Abstract
Observations on S. punctatus revealed new features of the anatomy of the ear, and measurements in a living specimen by means of cochlear potentials showed the form and level of this ear''s performance in sound reception. For an animal lacking an external ear opening and a functional tympanic membrane, the sensitivity of from 100-900 Hz was surprisingly good in low tones with peak response around 200-400 Hz. The inner ear was well developed, with a tectorial membrane connected to a tectorial plate that extends throughout the cochlea. The best region of sensitivity agreed well with the main frequency components of the animal''s vocalizations.This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: