Selectivity for harmonic structure in complex sounds by the green treefrog (Hyla cinerea).

1. A psychophysical technique based on reflex modification was used to study the detection of two-tone complexes in background noise by the green treefrog (Hyla cinerea). Three different two-tone complexes were synthesized and presented to measure detection thresholds--a harmonic complex of 900 + 3000 Hz (periodicity of 300 Hz, mimicking the structure of the natural advertisement call); an inharmonic complex of 830 + 3100 Hz; and a second harmonic complex of 828 + 2760 Hz (periodicity of 276 Hz). 2. Masked thresholds and 'critical ratios' (signal-to-noise ratios at threshold) were lowest for the two harmonic complexes (900 + 3000 Hz, mean 'critical ratio' of 16 dB; 828 + 2760 Hz, mean 'critical ratio' of 14 dB). For the inharmonic complex, for which there is no stable first-harmonic periodicity, the mean 'critical ratio' was 24 dB. These data suggest that the green treefrog is sensitive to the harmonic structure of complex sounds as a specific acoustic feature. 3. Because of the unique structure of the treefrog's inner ear, the heightened behavioral sensitivity to harmonic complexes must be due to processing in the central, rather than peripheral, auditory system.