Abstract
We study the mechanics of mechanoreceptor hairs in response to electro- and acousto-stimuli to expand the theory of tuning within filiform mechano-sensory systems and show the physical, biological and parametric feasibility of electroreception in comparison to aerodynamic sensing. We begin by analysing two well-known mechanosensory systems, the MeD1 spider trichobothria and the cricket cercal hair, offering a systematic appraisal of the physics of mechanosensory hair motion. Then we explore the biologically relevant parameter space of mechanoreceptor hairs by varying each oscillator parameter, thereby extending the theory to general arthropods. In doing so, we readily identify combinations of parameters for which a hair shows an enhanced or distinct response to either electric or aerodynamic stimuli. Overall, we find distinct behaviours in the two systems with novel insight provided through the parameter-space analysis. We show how the parameter space and balance of parameters therein of the resonant spider system are organised to produce a highly tuneable hair system through variation of hair length, whilst the broader parameter space of the non-resonant cricket system responds equally to a wider range of driving frequencies with increased capacity for high temporal resolution. From our analysis, we hypothesise the existence of two distinct types of mechanoreceptive system: the general system where hairs of all lengths are poised to detect both electro- and acousto- stimuli, and a stimuli-specific system where the sensitivity and specificity of the hairs to the different stimuli changes with length.
Highlights
The analysis presented here entails five aims: 1) to expand the theory and understanding of filiform mechanosensory systems by studying the induced torque and deflection mechanics of individual hairs under external aerodynamic and electric stimuli, 2) to understand the effect of hair tuning and oscillator parameters on the mechanics of the hair response, 3) to show the physical and biological feasibility of electroreception in comparison to aerodynamic sensing, 4) to explore the biologically relevant parameter space of mechanoreceptor hairs, 5) to identify circumstances in which a hair preferably responds to or distinguishes between electric or aerodynamic stimuli
To understand the impact of varying R in general we present phase diagrams for the R Â Rm and L parameter space to show how the damping ratio and resonant frequency of each system changes with R and length, and how the expected dynamics vary within the parameter space
We have shown that the physical response of these systems varies greatly both in the detection of aerodynamic and electrostatic stimuli
Summary
Mechanoreception using fine, light and deflectable hairs is a important sensory process. This sensory modality is quite versatile, supporting hearing, fluid flow sensing, and proprioception, for a comprehensive review see Casas and Dangles, 2010. It is widespread across Arthropoda, most notably amongst insects, arachnids and crustaceans. It has been noted that pollinator species tend to display hair coverings, notably with verticillate and multifurcate morphologies that facilitate pollen grain capture (Amador et al, 2017; Clarke et al, 2017)
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