Peripheral auditory processing in the bobtail lizard Tiliqua rugosa

Abstract

Primary auditory-nerve fibres of the bobtail lizard have asymmetrical, V-shaped frequency-threshold tuning curves. Fibre characteristic frequencies (CF) ranged from 0.2 to 4.5 kHz. The tuning sharpness and the thresholds of both low- and high-CF fibres were hypoxia-sensitive, the loss of sensitivity being greatest at CF. Only the low-CF group of fibres showed two-tone rate suppression. In those fibres, two-tone rate suppression was only found with suppressor frequencies above CF, but not below CF