Modified specific components of conspecific advertisement calls influence behavioral and neural responses in music frogs

Abstract Vocal communication plays a critical role in the transfer and exchange of information among animals. However, it remains unclear how modifications to specific call components simultaneously affect behavioral and neural responses. To address these issues, we conducted phonotaxis experiments...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Tao Qing, Di Shen, Yanzhu Fan, Suxin Shi, Lidi Lu, Yue Wu, Guangzhan Fang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-05-01
Series:Communications Biology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08170-0
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850127924918747136
author Tao Qing
Di Shen
Yanzhu Fan
Suxin Shi
Lidi Lu
Yue Wu
Guangzhan Fang
author_facet Tao Qing
Di Shen
Yanzhu Fan
Suxin Shi
Lidi Lu
Yue Wu
Guangzhan Fang
author_sort Tao Qing
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Vocal communication plays a critical role in the transfer and exchange of information among animals. However, it remains unclear how modifications to specific call components simultaneously affect behavioral and neural responses. To address these issues, we conducted phonotaxis experiments and neural signal recordings in Emei music frogs (Nidirana daunchina), exposing them to auditory stimuli with varying degrees of information coherence violations. During the electrophysiological recordings, we also presented stimuli with altered physical properties featuring rising intonation. The phonotaxis experiments showed that females exhibited reduced attraction to altered calls with potential information coherence violations, suggesting that information coherence may influence female choice. Similarly, the electrophysiological experiments indicated a correlation between the amplitudes of the N400 and late positive components (LPC) with information incongruity and altered physical properties, respectively. Notably, the N400 amplitudes increased proportionally with the extent of potential information coherence violations. Given that N400 is a well-established neural indicator for prediction error in perceptual processes, including semantic processing in humans, and considering the significant evolutionary conservation of brain structure and function among vertebrates, these findings suggest that information coherence contained in the calls plays a crucial role in anuran vocal communication.
format Article
id doaj-art-e2fff5e132404f4bbee925f3a3a773bb
institution OA Journals
issn 2399-3642
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Communications Biology
spelling doaj-art-e2fff5e132404f4bbee925f3a3a773bb2025-08-20T02:33:32ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Biology2399-36422025-05-018111610.1038/s42003-025-08170-0Modified specific components of conspecific advertisement calls influence behavioral and neural responses in music frogsTao Qing0Di Shen1Yanzhu Fan2Suxin Shi3Lidi Lu4Yue Wu5Guangzhan Fang6Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.23, Qunxian South Street, Tianfu new areaChengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.23, Qunxian South Street, Tianfu new areaChengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.23, Qunxian South Street, Tianfu new areaChengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.23, Qunxian South Street, Tianfu new areaChengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.23, Qunxian South Street, Tianfu new areaChengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.23, Qunxian South Street, Tianfu new areaChengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.23, Qunxian South Street, Tianfu new areaAbstract Vocal communication plays a critical role in the transfer and exchange of information among animals. However, it remains unclear how modifications to specific call components simultaneously affect behavioral and neural responses. To address these issues, we conducted phonotaxis experiments and neural signal recordings in Emei music frogs (Nidirana daunchina), exposing them to auditory stimuli with varying degrees of information coherence violations. During the electrophysiological recordings, we also presented stimuli with altered physical properties featuring rising intonation. The phonotaxis experiments showed that females exhibited reduced attraction to altered calls with potential information coherence violations, suggesting that information coherence may influence female choice. Similarly, the electrophysiological experiments indicated a correlation between the amplitudes of the N400 and late positive components (LPC) with information incongruity and altered physical properties, respectively. Notably, the N400 amplitudes increased proportionally with the extent of potential information coherence violations. Given that N400 is a well-established neural indicator for prediction error in perceptual processes, including semantic processing in humans, and considering the significant evolutionary conservation of brain structure and function among vertebrates, these findings suggest that information coherence contained in the calls plays a crucial role in anuran vocal communication.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08170-0
spellingShingle Tao Qing
Di Shen
Yanzhu Fan
Suxin Shi
Lidi Lu
Yue Wu
Guangzhan Fang
Modified specific components of conspecific advertisement calls influence behavioral and neural responses in music frogs
Communications Biology
title Modified specific components of conspecific advertisement calls influence behavioral and neural responses in music frogs
title_full Modified specific components of conspecific advertisement calls influence behavioral and neural responses in music frogs
title_fullStr Modified specific components of conspecific advertisement calls influence behavioral and neural responses in music frogs
title_full_unstemmed Modified specific components of conspecific advertisement calls influence behavioral and neural responses in music frogs
title_short Modified specific components of conspecific advertisement calls influence behavioral and neural responses in music frogs
title_sort modified specific components of conspecific advertisement calls influence behavioral and neural responses in music frogs
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08170-0
work_keys_str_mv AT taoqing modifiedspecificcomponentsofconspecificadvertisementcallsinfluencebehavioralandneuralresponsesinmusicfrogs
AT dishen modifiedspecificcomponentsofconspecificadvertisementcallsinfluencebehavioralandneuralresponsesinmusicfrogs
AT yanzhufan modifiedspecificcomponentsofconspecificadvertisementcallsinfluencebehavioralandneuralresponsesinmusicfrogs
AT suxinshi modifiedspecificcomponentsofconspecificadvertisementcallsinfluencebehavioralandneuralresponsesinmusicfrogs
AT lidilu modifiedspecificcomponentsofconspecificadvertisementcallsinfluencebehavioralandneuralresponsesinmusicfrogs
AT yuewu modifiedspecificcomponentsofconspecificadvertisementcallsinfluencebehavioralandneuralresponsesinmusicfrogs
AT guangzhanfang modifiedspecificcomponentsofconspecificadvertisementcallsinfluencebehavioralandneuralresponsesinmusicfrogs