Owren M J, Hopp S L, Sinnott J M, Petersen M R
Indiana University.
J Comp Psychol. 1988 Jun;102(2):99-107. doi: 10.1037/0735-7036.102.2.99.
We investigated the absolute auditory sensitivities of three monkey species (Cercopithecus aethiops, C. neglectus, and Macaca fuscata) and humans (Homo sapiens). Results indicated that species-typical variation exists in these primates. Vervets, which have the smallest interaural distance of the species that we tested, exhibited the greatest high-frequency sensitivity. This result is consistent with Masterton, Heffner, and Ravizza's (1969) observations that head size and high-frequency acuity are inversely correlated in mammals. Vervets were also the most sensitive in the middle frequency range. Furthermore, we found that de Brazza's monkeys, though they produce a specialized, low-pitched boom call, did not show the enhanced low-frequency sensitivity that Brown and Waser (1984) showed for blue monkeys (C. mitis), a species with a similar sound. This discrepancy may be related to differences in the acoustics of the respective habitats of these animals or in the way their boom calls are used. The acuity of Japanese monkeys was found to closely resemble that of rhesus macaques (M. mulatta) that were tested in previous studies. Finally, humans tested in the same apparatus exhibited normative sensitivities. These subjects responded more readily to low frequencies than did the monkeys but rapidly became less sensitive in the high ranges.
我们研究了三种猴子（埃塞俄比亚长尾猴、黑白疣猴和日本猕猴）以及人类（智人）的绝对听觉敏感度。结果表明，这些灵长类动物存在物种特异性差异。在我们测试的物种中，间耳距离最小的绿猴表现出最高的高频敏感度。这一结果与马斯特顿、赫夫纳和拉维扎（1969年）的观察结果一致，即在哺乳动物中，头部大小与高频敏锐度呈负相关。绿猴在中频范围内也最为敏感。此外，我们发现德氏长尾猴虽然会发出一种特殊的、低调的轰鸣声，但并未表现出布朗和韦瑟（1984年）在蓝猴（短尾猴）身上所发现的增强的低频敏感度，蓝猴是一种发出类似声音的物种。这种差异可能与这些动物各自栖息地的声学特性差异或它们发出轰鸣声的方式有关。我们发现日本猕猴的敏锐度与先前研究中测试的恒河猴（食蟹猴）非常相似。最后，在同一设备中测试的人类表现出正常的敏感度。这些受试者对低频的反应比猴子更灵敏，但在高频范围内很快就变得不那么敏感了。
