Mating call phonotaxis in female American toads: lesions of central auditory system.

Female American toads were tested for mating call phonotaxis (prostaglandin-induced) after brain lesions. The pretrigeminal nucleus, all of the telencephalon (except the preoptic area and immediately adjacent septal area), the dorsal thalamus (including all of the anterior nuclei and most of the central nuclei), the optic tectum, and the dorsal and medial parts of the torus were removed without interferring with the hormonal sensitization, acoustic triggering, or production of phonotaxis. These lesions removed most of the forebrain and much of the midbrain auditory areas. These data are compared with similar lesion data on the triggering mechanisms for three other anuran acoustic behaviors. The lateral subtoral tegmentum may have a basic, special importance in the triggering of all four behaviours.