Heffner R S, Heffner H E
Bureau of Child Research, University of Kansas.
Behav Neurosci. 1988 Jun;102(3):422-8. doi: 10.1037//0735-7044.102.3.422.
Noise-localization thresholds and the ability to localize pure tones at 60 degrees separation were determined for gerbils. The gerbils were trained using a two-choice procedure with observing response in which the gerbils made a left or right response to sounds emanating from their left or right side in order to obtain food. The average 75% correct localization threshold of 7 gerbils for a 100-ms noise burst was 27 degrees with chance performance (p greater than .01) reached at 12 degrees. The ability of 4 gerbils to localize both low- and high-frequency pure tones indicates that gerbils are able to use both phase- and intensity-difference locus cues. The frequency at which tone localization was poorest was 2.8 kHz, well below the theoretical frequency of ambiguity of the phase cue but within the frequency range at which phase locking declines in the mammalian auditory system. The sound localization ability of gerbils is typical of small rodents, and there is no obvious sign that it is affected by the degenerative disorder of the central auditory system which has been recently discovered in gerbils.
测定了沙鼠的噪声定位阈值以及在60度间隔下定位纯音的能力。沙鼠采用双选程序进行训练，并观察其反应，在此过程中，沙鼠对来自其左侧或右侧的声音做出向左或向右的反应以获取食物。7只沙鼠对100毫秒噪声脉冲的平均75%正确定位阈值为27度，在12度时达到随机表现水平（p大于0.01）。4只沙鼠定位低频和高频纯音的能力表明，沙鼠能够利用相位和强度差异线索。音调定位最差的频率为2.8千赫，远低于相位线索理论上的模糊频率，但在哺乳动物听觉系统中相位锁定下降的频率范围内。沙鼠的声音定位能力是小型啮齿动物的典型特征，并且没有明显迹象表明它受到最近在沙鼠中发现的中枢听觉系统退行性疾病的影响。
