Sound attenuation in the ear of domestic chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) as a result of beak opening.

ABSTRACT: Because the quadrate and the eardrum are connected, the hypothesis was tested that birds attenuate the transmission of sound through their ears by opening the bill, which potentially serves as an additional protective mechanism for self-generated vocalizations. In domestic chickens, it was examined if a difference exists between hens and roosters, given the difference in vocalization capacity between the sexes. To test the hypothesis, vibrations of the columellar footplate were measured ex vivo with laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV) for closed and maximally opened beak conditions, with sounds introduced at the ear canal. The average attenuation was 3.5 dB in roosters and only 0.5 dB in hens. To demonstrate the importance of a putative protective mechanism, audio recordings were perform

SUBMITTER: Muyshondt PGG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5717687 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature