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<p>Hearing is essential both for survival and communication in primates. However, progress in understanding primate auditory systems and developing theories on their evolution has been constrained by several factors: a predominant emphasis on vocalizations rather than hearing itself, a tendency to concentrate on forest-dwelling species with comparatively limited information from open habitats, and a relatively small amount of intraspecific sampling, which limits our understanding of interindividual variability within species. Within the framework of the Sensory Drive Hypothesis, suggesting that receiver sensory systems, shaped by species-specific ecological traits, evolve to optimize signal detection within local environments, we examined the impact of habitat types and ecological traits on hearing, while also exploring the influence of individual biological factors (sex, age, ear-laterality). We measured cochlear sensitivity in 85 individuals from 20 primate species living in zoos in France. We examined how this sensitivity varied between 625 and 5,195 Hz using transient evoked otoacoustic emissions. From these, we extracted and analyzed five acoustic metrics (amplitude- or frequency-derived) both within and among species, and tested whether these metrics covary with phylogenetic. Using a balanced subset of individuals and species, we applied mixed-effects models to evaluate the relative influence of environmental, ecological, and biological factors on cochlear sensitivity. We found substantial intra- and interspecific variability across all acoustic metrics investigated.&#xa0;Habitat characteristics primarily shaped overall cochlear sensitivity (response amplitude and receiver sensitivity), whereas ecological traits influenced the frequencies of maximal responsiveness. This dual pattern supports the Sensory Drive Hypothesis. Beyond species-level trends, strong interindividual variation emerged, indicating that each individual occupies a unique acoustic sphere within its species-specific auditory space. These interspecific and individual-level differences highlight the complexity of auditory evolution in primates. By quantifying the contribution of each factor and characterizing species-specific auditory profiles,&#xa0;our study advances our understanding&#xa0;of primate auditory sensitivity and refines evolutionary and functional models of hearing in nonhuman primates.</p>

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Cochlear Sensitivity in Nonhuman Primates: High Individual Variation and Modulation By Environment, Ecological Traits, and Sex

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月11日

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  • Myriam Marsot,
  • Nicolas Poulet,
  • Sébastien Delmotte,
  • Jessica Côte,
  • Franklin Delehelle,
  • Didier Descouens,
  • Guillaume Douay,
  • Antoine Leclerc,
  • Baptiste Mulot,
  • Baptiste Chenet,
  • Mélanie Berthet,
  • Benoit Quintard,
  • Turi King,
  • Sébastien Couette,
  • Patricia Balaresque

摘要

Hearing is essential both for survival and communication in primates. However, progress in understanding primate auditory systems and developing theories on their evolution has been constrained by several factors: a predominant emphasis on vocalizations rather than hearing itself, a tendency to concentrate on forest-dwelling species with comparatively limited information from open habitats, and a relatively small amount of intraspecific sampling, which limits our understanding of interindividual variability within species. Within the framework of the Sensory Drive Hypothesis, suggesting that receiver sensory systems, shaped by species-specific ecological traits, evolve to optimize signal detection within local environments, we examined the impact of habitat types and ecological traits on hearing, while also exploring the influence of individual biological factors (sex, age, ear-laterality). We measured cochlear sensitivity in 85 individuals from 20 primate species living in zoos in France. We examined how this sensitivity varied between 625 and 5,195 Hz using transient evoked otoacoustic emissions. From these, we extracted and analyzed five acoustic metrics (amplitude- or frequency-derived) both within and among species, and tested whether these metrics covary with phylogenetic. Using a balanced subset of individuals and species, we applied mixed-effects models to evaluate the relative influence of environmental, ecological, and biological factors on cochlear sensitivity. We found substantial intra- and interspecific variability across all acoustic metrics investigated. Habitat characteristics primarily shaped overall cochlear sensitivity (response amplitude and receiver sensitivity), whereas ecological traits influenced the frequencies of maximal responsiveness. This dual pattern supports the Sensory Drive Hypothesis. Beyond species-level trends, strong interindividual variation emerged, indicating that each individual occupies a unique acoustic sphere within its species-specific auditory space. These interspecific and individual-level differences highlight the complexity of auditory evolution in primates. By quantifying the contribution of each factor and characterizing species-specific auditory profiles, our study advances our understanding of primate auditory sensitivity and refines evolutionary and functional models of hearing in nonhuman primates.