July 30, 2004: Headlines: COS - Chile: University Education: Biology: Ecology: Evoluntion: UCLA: Chile RPCV Professor Peter Narins is Professor of Organismic Biology, Ecology, and Evolution at UCLA

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Chile: Peace Corps Chile : The Peace Corps In Chile: July 30, 2004: Headlines: COS - Chile: University Education: Biology: Ecology: Evoluntion: UCLA: Chile RPCV Professor Peter Narins is Professor of Organismic Biology, Ecology, and Evolution at UCLA

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Chile RPCV Professor Peter Narins is Professor of Organismic Biology, Ecology, and Evolution at UCLA

Chile RPCV Professor Peter Narins is Professor of Organismic Biology, Ecology, and Evolution at UCLA

Chile RPCV Professor Peter Narins is Professor of Organismic Biology, Ecology, and Evolution at UCLA

Research Interests

Auditory Behavior, Neurophysiology and Mechanics

My research focuses on the question of how animals extract relevant sounds from the often highly noisy backgrounds in which they live. The techniques I use are the quantitative analysis of vocal behavior of animals in their natural habitats, followed by single fiber neurophysiological recordings in order to elucidate mechanisms underlying signal processing in noise. A second research direction is based on the discovery of the remarkable sensitivity to substrate vibrations possessed by burrowing animals. We are now characterizing and providing accurate measurements of vibrational thresholds as well as exploring the differences between substrate-vibration and airborne sound at the cellular level. Other projects carried out by our group have included an investigation of the neurophysiological basis of sound localization in noisy environments, a study of the temperature-dependence of the representation of time in the vertebrate auditory system, the biophysics of sound localization and the evolution of the middle ear reflex in vertebrates. Current projects include using laser Doppler vibrometry to elucidate the sound pathways relevant for stimulation of both the middle and inner ear in small vertebrates, and using whole-cell voltage clamp techniques to carry out an anatomical and physiological study of the mechanisms underlying transduction in vertebrate sensory hair cells. In addition, we supplement the lab work with direct behavioral observations and controlled acoustic playback studies carried out with animals in their natural habitats. These have included both Old and New World lowland wet tropical forests, African deserts and temperate forests in South America.

Selected Honors and Awards

(1998) Faculty of Medecine, University of the Republic, Montevideo, Uruguay Professor, Ad Honorem

(1997) Animal Behavior Society Fellow

(1997) AAAS Fellow

(1996) Gold Shield Alumnae of UCLA Gold Shield Faculty Prize

(1996) Acoustical Society of America Science Writing Award for Professionals

(1993) John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Guggenheim Award

(1993) Acoustical Society of America Fellow

(1990) Animal Behavior Society Founders Award

(1990) UCLA Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award

(1988) Fulbright Foundation Fulbright Award

(1985) Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Senior Humboldt Award

Selected Publications

Narins, P.M., Hodl, W., Grabul, D.S. (2003). Bimodal signal requisite for agonistic behavior in a dart-poison frog. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 100: 577-580.

Mason M. M., Narins P. M. (2002). Seismic sensitivity in the desert golden mole (Eremitalpa granti): A review. J. Comp. Psychol. 116: 158-163.

Christensen-Dalsgaard, J., Ludwig, T., Narins, P.M. (2002). Call diversity in an Old World treefrog: Level dependence and latency of acoustic responses. Bioacoustics 13: 21-35.

Mason, M., Narins, P.M. (2002). Vibrometric studies of the middle ear of the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) I: The extrastapes. J. Exp. Biol. 205: 3153-3165.

Mason, M., Narins, P.M. (2002). Vibrometric studies of the middle ear of the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) II: The operculum. J. Exp. Biol. 205: 3167-3176.

van Dijk, P., Mason, M., Narins, P.M. (2002). Distortion product otoacoustic emissions in frogs: Correlation with middle and inner ear properties. Hearing Research 173: 100-108.

Feng, A.S., Narins, P.M., Xu, C.-H. (2002). Vocal acrobatics in a Chinese frog, Amolops tormotus. Naturwissenschaften 89: 352-356.

Mason, M., Narins, P.M. (2001). Seismic signal use by fossorial mammals. Am. Zool. 41: 1171-1184.

Lewis, E.R., Narins, P.M., Cortopassi, K., Yamada, W., Moore, S. (2001). Do white-lipped frogs use seismic signals for intraspecific communication? Am. Zool. 41: 1185-1199.

Narins, P.M. (2001). Ectothermy's last stand: Hearing in the heat and cold. Anuran Communication Smithsonian Inst. Press: Washington 61-70.

Narins, P.M. (2001). Vibration communication in vertebrates. Ecology of Sensing Springer-Verlag: Berlin 127-148.

Narins, P.M. (2001). In a fly's ear. Nature 410: 644-645.

Narins, P.M., Lewis, E.R., Purgue, A.P., Bishop, P.J., Minter, L.R. and Lawson, D.P. (2001). Functional consequences of a novel middle ear adaptation in the West African Petropedetes parkeri (Ranidae). J. Exp. Biol. 204: 1223-1232.

Garcia, E.J. and Narins, P.M. (2001). Shared acoustic resources in an Old World frog community. Herpetologica 57: 104-116.

Purgue, A.P. and Narins, P.M. (2000). Mechanical basis for the frequency selectivity in the ear of the bullfrog (Rana cetesbeiana). Recent Developments in Auditory Mechanics World Scientific Publishers: U.K., U.S., Singapore 513-519.

Smotherman, M.S. and Narins, P.M. (2000). Hair cells, hearing and hopping: A field guide to hair cell physiology in the frog. J. Exp. Biol. 203: 2237-2246.

Purgue, A.P. and Narins, P.M. (2000). A model for energy flow in the inner ear of the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana). J. Comp. Physiol. 186: 489-495.

Purgue, A.P. and Narins, P.M. (2000). Mechanics of the inner ear of the bullfrog (Rana cateseiana): The contact membranes and the periotic canal. J. Comp. Physiol. 186: 481-488.

Narins, P.M., Lewis, E.R. and McClelland, B.E. (2000). Hyperextended call repertoire of the endemic Madagascar treefrog, Boophis madagascariensis (Rhacophoridae). J. Zool., Lond. 250: 283-298.

Pedemonte, M. and Narins, P.M. (1999). Las células ciliadas de la cóclea, un ejemplo de transducción bidireccional. Actas de Fisiología 5: 79-107.

Benedix, J.H., Jr. and Narins, P.M. (1999). Competitive calling behavior by male Coquis, Eleutherodactylus coqui (Anura: Leptodactylidae). Copeia 1999: 1118-1122.

Smotherman, M.S. and Narins, P.M. (1999). The electrical properties of auditory hair cells in the frog amphibian papilla. J. Neurosci. 19: 5275-5292.

Smotherman, M.S. and Narins, P.M. (1999). Potassium currents in auditory hair cells of the frog basilar papilla. Hearing Res. 132: 117-130.

Lewis, E.R. and Narins, P.M. (1999). The Acoustic Periphery of Amphibians: Anatomy and Physiology. Comparative Hearing: Fish and Amphibians Springer-Verlag: New York 101-154.

Narins, P. M., Feng, A.S., Yong, H-S. and Christensen-Dalsgaard, J. (1998). Morphological, behavioral and genetic divergence of sympatric morphotypes of the treefrog, Polypedates leucomystax in Peninsular Malaysia. Herpetologica 54: 129-142.

Smotherman, M.S. and Narins, P.M. (1998). Variations in the electrical properties of hair cells in the frog auditory system. Psychophysical and Physiological Advances in Hearing Whurr Publishers: London, UK 105-111.

Smotherman, M.S. and Narins, P.M. (1998). Effect of temperature on electrical resonance in leopard frog saccular hair cells. J. Neurophysiol. 79: 312-321.

Narins, P.M., Benedix, J.H. Jr. and Moss, F. (1997). Can increasing temperature improve information transfer in the anuran peripheral auditory system? Aud. Neurosci. 3: 389-400.

Lewis, E.R., Lyon, R., Long, G.R. and Narins, P.M. (1997). Diversity in Auditory Mechanics. World Scientific Publishers: Singapore.

Narins, P.M., Benedix, J.H., Jr. and Moss, F. (1997). Does stochastic resonance play a role in hearing? Diversity in Auditory Mechanics World Scientific Publishers: Singapore 83-90.

Penna, M., Feng, A.S. and Narins, P.M. (1997). Temporal selectivity of evoked vocal responses of Batrachyla antartandica (Amphibia, Leptodactylidae). Anim. Behav. 54: 833-848.

Narins, P.M. (1997). Frog vibrational communication: Lessons from the rain forest. Echos 7: 1-5.

Narins, P.M., Lewis, E.R., Jarvis, J.U.M. and O'Riain, J. (1997). The use of seismic signals by fossorial Southern African mammals: A neuroethological gold mine. Brain Res. Bulletin 44: 641-646.

Wang, J., Ludwig, T. and Narins P.M. (1996). Direction sensitivity of the auditory periphery in the northern leopard frog. J. Comp. Physiol. 178: 159-172.

Wang, J. and Narins, P.M. (1996). Directional noise masking of phase locking in the amphibian auditory nerve. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 99: 1611-1620.

Van Dijk, P., Narins, P.M. and Wang, J. (1996). Spontaneous otoacoustic emissions in seven frog species. Hearing Res. 101: 102-112.

Narins, P.M. and Lewis, E.R. (1996). Extended call repertoire of a Madagascar frog. Biogéographie de Madagascar Editions de l'ORSTOM: Paris 403-410.

Narins, P.M. (1995). Frog Communication. Scientific American 273: 78-83.




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Story Source: UCLA

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