Time coding in electric fish and barn owls.

A comparison of the coding and processing of temporally ordered information in electric fish and barn owls demonstrates a number of similar design features including different time and intensity channels and distinct morphological characteristics. Similar mechanisms, such as the presence of delay lines, underlie the sensitivity of both animals to small temporal disparities. Differences between the two systems may reflect the different substrates upon which evolution acted, and the different requirements of the two systems.