UMD Scientists Uncover Geckos’ Auditory ‘Sixth Sense’
By Georgia Jiang Oct 04, 2024
UMD researchers discovered geckos can sense vibrations at frequencies much lower than they were previously known to be able to hear with their ears.
University of Maryland biologists have identified a hidden talent in geckos that’s shaking up conventional wisdom about animal hearing.
A study published Friday in Current Biology revealed that the lizards use the “saccule”—an inner ear structure associated with maintaining balance and body positioning—to detect low-frequency vibrations. According to the researchers, this “sixth sense” also plays a complementary role to the geckos’ normal hearing and the way they perceive the world around them.
“The ear, as we know it, hears airborne sound. But this ancient inner pathway … helps geckos detect vibrations that travel through mediums like the ground or water,” said study co-author Catherine Carr, a Distinguished University Professor of Biology at UMD.
