Scheich, H. ; Langner, Gerald ; Tidemann, C. ; Coles, R. B. ; Guppy, A. (1986)
Electroreception and electrolocation in platypus.
In: Nature, 319 (6052)
Artikel, Bibliographie
Kurzbeschreibung (Abstract)
Electroreceptors with sensitivity in the microvolt range, which mainly function to detect live prey, are well known in phylogenetically old fishes and some amphibians. In African mormyriform and South American gymnotiform fishes this sense has evolved to an active system using an electric organ as a source for impedance measurement of the environment and for communication. Electroreception in higher vertebrates has not previously been reported. Here we establish that the platypus, the Australian nocturnal diving monotreme, can locate and avoid objects on the basis of d.c. fields. High-frequency sensitivity to a.c. could allow the detection of muscle activity of animals, such as crustaceans, which are preyed on by the platypus. Recordings of cortical evoked potentials showed that the bill of the platypus, previously considered to be exclusively mechanoreceptive, is also an electroreceptive organ with behavioural and electrophysiological sensitivity of approximately 50 microV cm-1. Several lines of evidence suggest that electroreception has evolved independently in this monotreme.
| Typ des Eintrags: | Artikel |
|---|---|
| Erschienen: | 1986 |
| Autor(en): | Scheich, H. ; Langner, Gerald ; Tidemann, C. ; Coles, R. B. ; Guppy, A. |
| Art des Eintrags: | Bibliographie |
| Titel: | Electroreception and electrolocation in platypus. |
| Sprache: | Englisch |
| Publikationsjahr: | 1986 |
| Titel der Zeitschrift, Zeitung oder Schriftenreihe: | Nature |
| Jahrgang/Volume einer Zeitschrift: | 319 |
| (Heft-)Nummer: | 6052 |
| Kurzbeschreibung (Abstract): | Electroreceptors with sensitivity in the microvolt range, which mainly function to detect live prey, are well known in phylogenetically old fishes and some amphibians. In African mormyriform and South American gymnotiform fishes this sense has evolved to an active system using an electric organ as a source for impedance measurement of the environment and for communication. Electroreception in higher vertebrates has not previously been reported. Here we establish that the platypus, the Australian nocturnal diving monotreme, can locate and avoid objects on the basis of d.c. fields. High-frequency sensitivity to a.c. could allow the detection of muscle activity of animals, such as crustaceans, which are preyed on by the platypus. Recordings of cortical evoked potentials showed that the bill of the platypus, previously considered to be exclusively mechanoreceptive, is also an electroreceptive organ with behavioural and electrophysiological sensitivity of approximately 50 microV cm-1. Several lines of evidence suggest that electroreception has evolved independently in this monotreme. |
| Fachbereich(e)/-gebiet(e): | 10 Fachbereich Biologie |
| Hinterlegungsdatum: | 11 Mai 2015 12:42 |
| Letzte Änderung: | 11 Mai 2015 12:45 |
| PPN: | |
| Export: | |
| Suche nach Titel in: | TUfind oder in Google |
 |
Frage zum Eintrag |
Optionen (nur für Redakteure)
 |
Redaktionelle Details anzeigen |
Drucken
Impressum