A new study published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews suggests that the ultrasonic frequencies (USV) that rodents can generate and that until now were believed to only serve for the act of courtship They may have other functions. The investigation of Eduardo Mercado III and Jessica Zhuoexperts in bioacoustics, point out that these vocalizations that are inaudible to the human ear can be used by these animals to move particles without having to make contact with them.
Rats vibrate particles that could disrupt or enhance their sense of smell. “This phenomenon has never been observed before, nor do I think it has even been suspected, in any animal,” says Mercado, doctor and professor of Psychology at the College of Arts and Sciences at the University at Buffalo in a statement. The study authors note that they did not expect USVs to have these functions. «They are creating new pathways of information by manipulating their environment and controlling the molecular interactions of the particles around them. It is so far from what we know that it is as if we were observing Jedi rats,” says Mercado. “It almost seems like magic.”
Mercado’s experience in the study of humpback whale song allowed him to participate in a scientific meeting on USV. Previous research had suggested that ultrasounds functioned as indicators of emotional states or as a mating attempt. But Market observed inconsistencies in previous studies that only focused on the reproductive purpose.
Exquisite adaptations
The nose of rodents has 1,200 olfactory receptorswhile humans have 400. The study establishes that rats and mice in particular show exquisite adaptations to explore and exploit a wide variety of habitats, including those built by humans. And the University of Buffalo explains that rodents explore their environment by stroking surfaces with their whiskers, visually scanning, and incessantly sniffing. But Mercado found that vocalization studies that also monitored sniffing showed that rodents sniffed immediately after producing each USV.
“It could be a coincidence, or it could suggest that the two are functionally related,” he indicated. «I knew that in the field of vibroacoustics, ultrasonic techniques to manipulate particles and I immediately thought that they could also work with animals,” he says.
The study details that rats use multiple modes of active sensing when navigating both space and social settings. They tear, scan and sniff, quickly and selectively differentiating the new from the familiar. In parallel with these research actions, they produce a variety of ultrasonic vocalizations.
Mercado and Zhuo’s work explains that lVibroacoustics or artificially produced ultrasonic vibrations cause particles in the air to clump together. And rodents could be using USV to create groups of odors that improve the reception of pheromones – which are chemical signals – making it easier for them to detect and distinguish in their environment between predators or companions.
“Ultrasonic vocalizations can affect what rodents smell by altering the deposition of inhaled particles and that rodents coordinate active olfaction with sound production specifically to enhance pheromone reception. In this scenario, rodent vocalizations may contribute to orn unique active olfactory detection modein addition to any function they fulfill as social signals,” say both researchers.
Given these capabilities, Jessica Zhou, a student researcher at Harvard University and co-author of the article, says that “rodents They are at the forefront of biological research. Especially rats and mice, they are the unsung heroes of the scientific world.”
And Mercado adds that “the fact that we were not aware that something like this was possible means that we still do not have the understanding of how nanoparticles could be sonically manipulated for complex uses. But we could have a big advantage if we confirm that nature has already solved the problem for us.” At the same time, that understanding can also lead to new technologies.
Zhao and Mercado’s hypothesis still needs to be verified. However, as a result of this study, the University at Buffalo states that from an evolutionary perspective, there is evidence to suggest that the sense of smell used in exploration drove the evolution of more sophisticated cognitive processesincluding attention and memory. «Understanding this system through rodents could help us discover how it all started», says Mercado.
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