Biology subjects

New, E. M.

Publications and source records attributed to New, E. M..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Differences in Auditory Brainstem Responses between Laboratory-reared and Wild-caught Prairie Voles (Microtus ochrogaster)

Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) are a semi-fossorial rodent that are an emerging model in social neuroscience. Comparing laboratory-reared and wild-caught individuals is essential for understanding how environmental history shapes neural and sensory traits and for assessing the ecological validity of laboratory findings. Despite this, relatively few studies have taken this approach. We used auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) to compare ABR thresholds and ABR wave characteristics between laboratory-reared and wild-caught prairie voles. ABR recordings show that, similar to other semi-fossorial rodents, M. ochrogaster exhibit a hearing range of 1 - 46 kHz with peak sensitivity around 8 to 32 kHz. However, wild-caught prairie voles displayed significantly lower ABR thresholds at 1, 4, 8, 16, and 24 kHz compared to laboratory-reared prairie voles. There were significant differences in interpeak latency between both tested groups, with laboratory-reared prairie voles showing faster interpeak latency responses than wild-caught voles. However, there were no differences in amplitude ratios between groups. Laboratory-reared prairie voles showed faster normalized latencies and higher relative amplitude of the binaural interaction component (BIC) of the ABR than wild-caught voles. There were no significant differences in ABR thresholds, interpeak latency, amplitude ratio, normalized latency, and relative amplitude between the sexes. These differences in auditory processing support the importance of integrating both wild and captive populations to advance comparative auditory research. SUMMARY STATEMENTWild and laboratory-reared prairie voles show distinct auditory processing, highlighting how environment history shapes hearing and underscoring the need for comparative studies.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Hearing in Two Closely Related Peromyscus Species (Peromyscus maniculatus and P. leucopus)

The genus Peromyscus has been extensively used as a model for ecological, behavioral, and evolutionary studies. We used auditory brainstem responses (ABRs), craniofacial morphology, and pinna measurements to compare characteristics that could impact the threshold, amplitude, and latency of ABRs in two wild-caught species, P. leucopus and P. maniculatus. We observed significant differences in craniofacial and pinna attributes between species, with P. leucopus exhibiting larger features and bigger overall size compared to P. maniculatus. ABR recordings showed similar hearing thresholds with peak sensitivity between 8 to 46 kHz for both species. We found that amplitude of ABR wave I and IV increased significantly with increasing intensity, while no main effect of species was detected. Latency of wave I and IV significantly decreased with increasing intensity in both species. Finally, we observed longer latencies of the binaural interaction component (BIC) at longer interaural time differences (ITDs) in P. leucopus, while no differences were observed across relative BIC amplitude between species. These results provide additional ABR related data that expands the use of both Peromyscus species as future models for auditory research.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2021

Hearing Ability of Prairie Voles (Microtus ochrogaster)

Hearing ability of mammals can be impacted by many factors including social cues, environment, and physical properties of animal morphology. Despite being used commonly to study social behaviors, hearing of the monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) has never been fully characterized. In this study, we measure morphological head and pinna features and use auditory brainstem responses to measure auditory capabilities of prairie voles characterizing monaural and binaural hearing and hearing range. Additionally, we measured unbonded male and female voles to characterize differences due to sex. We found that prairie voles show a hearing range with greatest sensitivity between 8 - 32 kHz, robust binaural hearing, and characteristic monaural ABRs. We show no differences between the sexes for binaural hearing or hearing range, however female voles have increased amplitude of peripheral ABR waves I and II and increased latency of wave IV. Our results confirm that prairie voles have both low and high frequency hearing, binaural hearing, and despite biparental care and monogamy, differences in processing of sound information between the sexes. These data further highlight the necessity to understand sex-specific differences in neural processing that may underly variability in behavioral responses between sexes. HighlightsO_LIMonogamous prairie voles hear across both low and high frequencies. C_LIO_LIFemale prairie voles show differences in monaural hearing compared to males. C_LIO_LIThere is no difference in binaural hearing or pinna/head size morphology between the sexes. C_LI

neuroscience↗