Ultrafast sound production mechanism in one of the smallest vertebrates

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Cook, Verity A. N. O.; Groneberg, Antonia H.; Hoffmann, Maximilian; Kadobianskyi, Mykola; Veith, Johannes; Schulze, Lisanne; Britz, Ralf; Judkewitz, Benjamin
• 署名单位: Free University of Berlin; Humboldt University of Berlin; Charite Universitatsmedizin Berlin; Humboldt University of Berlin
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-14222
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2314017121
• 发表日期: 2024-03-05
• 关键词: evolutionary origins; motor system; fish; dominance; muscles; song

摘要

Motion is the basis of nearly all animal behavior. Evolution has led to some extraordinary specializations of propulsion mechanisms among invertebrates, including the mandibles of the dracula ant and the claw of the pistol shrimp. In contrast, vertebrate skeletal movement is considered to be limited by the speed of muscle, saturating around 250 Hz. Here, we describe the unique propulsion mechanism by which Danionella cerebrum, a miniature cyprinid fish of only 12 mm length, produces high amplitude sounds exceeding 140 dB (re. 1 mu Pa, at a distance of one body length). Using a combination of high - speed video, micro- computed tomography (micro - CT), RNA profiling, and finite difference simulations, we found that D. cerebrum employ a unique sound production mechanism that involves a drumming cartilage, a specialized rib, and a dedicated muscle adapted for low fatigue. This apparatus accelerates the drumming cartilage at over 2,000 g, shooting it at the swim bladder to generate a rapid, loud pulse. These pulses are chained together to make calls with either bilaterally alternating or unilateral muscle contractions. D. cerebrum use this remarkable mechanism for acoustic communication with conspecifics.