The Gekko gecko lizard, a member of the gecko family, detects low-frequency vibrations through its sac (part of the inner ear). According to researchers from the University of Maryland, it serves a separate but complementary function to the normal auditory system of these reptiles.
Gekko gecko, a lizard from the gecko family, uses the sac (part of the inner ear, which is part of the body's balance system) to detect low-frequency vibrations. This discovery was made by biologists from the University of Maryland. An article on this topic was published in “Current Biology”. The sac is located between the cochlea and the semicircular canals.
The “sixth sense” in Gekko gecko lizards
According to scientists, the “sixth sense” in lizards Gekko gecko it plays a complementary role to normal hearing and the way they perceive the world around them. The team believes that this previously unrecognized auditory mechanism may also occur in other reptile species, challenging existing ideas about how animals' sensory systems evolve and diversify over time.
– The ear as we know it hears sounds floating in the air. But the pouch, which is usually associated with balance, helps these reptiles detect vibrations. These vibrations penetrate the ground or water, said Catherine Carr of the University of Maryland, co-author of the study. – This pathway exists in amphibians and fish, and now it has been proven that it is also preserved in lizards. “Our findings shed light on how the auditory system evolved from what we see in fish to what we see in land animals, including humans,” she added.
Communication using vibration signals
The pouch can detect faint vibrations in the range of 50 to 200 Hz, a range well below what gecko lizards typically hear with their ears. Scientists say this indicates that the sac serves a separate but complementary function to the reptiles' normal auditory system.
While Gekko gecko they can hear sounds in the air, many other reptiles do not have this ability. The study's lead author, Dawei Han from the University of Maryland, says that discovering the role of the sac in this species' hearing may lead to a better understanding of the communication and behavior of other animals that were previously thought to have limited hearing abilities.
“Many species of snakes and lizards were considered 'mute' or 'deaf' because they did not vocalize or did not hear sounds well,” Han said. – However, it turns out that they can potentially communicate using vibration signals through the sacs, which really changes the way scientists thought about the overall perception of animals – emphasized the researcher.
Carr and Han hope that their discovery will prompt further research into mammalian hearing, especially in the context of this sensory pathway. They believe the established link between hearing and balance opens up new research opportunities, including the link between human hearing and balance disorders.
Main photo source: Adobe Stock