Genetic, developmental, and neural changes underlying the evolution of butterfly mate preference.

Many studies have linked genetic variation to behavior, but few connect to the intervening neural circuits that underlie the arc from sensation to action. Here, we used a combination of genome-wide association (GWA), developmental gene expression, and photoreceptor electrophysiology to investigate the architecture of mate choice behavior in Heliconius cydno butterflies, a clade where males identify preferred mates based on wing color patterns. We first found that the GWA variants most strongly associated with male mate choice were tightly linked to the gene controlling wing color in the K locus, consistent with previous mapping efforts.

Assessing stimulus and subject influences on auditory evoked potentials and their relation to peripheral physiology in green treefrogs (Hyla cinerea).

Anurans (frogs and toads) are important models for comparative studies of communication, auditory physiology, and neuroethology, but to date, most of our knowledge comes from in-depth studies of a relatively small number of model species. Using the well-studied green treefrog (Hyla cinerea), this study sought to develop and evaluate the use of auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) as a minimally invasive tool for investigating auditory sensitivity in a larger diversity of anuran species. The goals of the study were to assess the effects of frequency, signal level, sex, and body size on auditory brainstem response (ABR) amplitudes and latencies, characterize gross ABR morphology, and generate an audiogram that could be compared to several previously published audiograms for green treefrogs.

Auditory brainstem responses in Cope's gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis): effects of frequency, level, sex and size.

Our knowledge of the hearing abilities of frogs and toads is largely defined by work with a few well-studied species. One way to further advance comparative work on anuran hearing would be greater use of minimally invasive electrophysiological measures, such as the auditory brainstem response (ABR). This study used the ABR evoked by tones and clicks to investigate hearing in Cope's gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis).

Spatial release from masking improves sound pattern discrimination along a biologically relevant pulse-rate continuum in gray treefrogs.

Many frogs form large choruses during their mating season in which males produce loud advertisement calls to attract females and repel rival males. High background noise levels in these social aggregations can impair vocal perception. In humans, spatial release from masking contributes to our ability to understand speech in noisy social groups.