How spatial release from masking may fail to function in a highly directional auditory system

Abstract
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Abstract

Spatial release from masking (SRM) occurs when spatial separation between a signal and masker decreases masked thresholds. The mechanically-coupled ears of Ormia ochracea are specialized for hyperacute directional hearing, but the possible role of SRM, or whether such specializations exhibit limitations for sound source segregation, is unknown. We recorded phonotaxis to a cricket song masked by band-limited noise. With a masker, response thresholds increased and localization was diverted away from the signal and masker. Increased separation from 6{degree sign} to 90{degree sign} did not decrease response thresholds or improve localization accuracy, thus SRM does not operate in this range of spatial separations. Tympanal vibrations and auditory nerve responses reveal that localization errors were consistent with changes in peripheral coding of signal location and flies localized towards the ear with better signal detection. Our results demonstrate that, in a mechanically coupled auditory system, specialization for directional hearing does not contribute to source segregation.

Data availability

The following data sets were generated

1. Lee N
2. Mason A
(2016) Data from: How Spatial Release from Masking May Fail to Function in a Highly Directional Auditory System
Available at Dryad Digital Repository under a CC0 Public Domain Dedication.

http://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.n1h4n

Article and author information

Author details

Norman Lee

Integrative Behaviour and Neuroscience Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto at Scarborough, Toronto, Canada

For correspondence
leen@umn.edu

Competing interests
The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

"This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0001-6198-710X
Andrew C Mason

Integrative Behaviour and Neuroscience Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto at Scarborough, Toronto, Canada

Competing interests
The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

Funding

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (Discovery Grant)

Andrew C Mason

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (PGS D3)

Norman Lee

Ontario Graduate Scholarship

Norman Lee

Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology grants-in-aid of research

Norman Lee

Animal Behavior Society Student Grant

Norman Lee

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.

Copyright

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.