Mechanics of a single-ossicle ear: I. The extra-stapedius of the pigeon

The motion of the conical peak of the tympanic membrane (TM) at the tip of the extra-stapedius (ES) and of the columella footplate (CFP) were measured in the pigeon using the Mössbauer technique. The dimensions of middle-ear structures were measured in some of the experimental animals. The averaged velocity response at the ES for frequencies of 0.25–2.378 kHz was that of a second order, mass and stiffness controlled, resonant system with resonant frequency of 1.2 kHz and Q 3 db of 1.2. The mean velocity amplitude at resonance was 3.7 mms −1 at 100 dB SPL, which is approximately equal to the theoretical value of 3.5 mms −1 required for maximum energy transfer from a uniform plane acoustic wavefront in air. For the frequency regions 0.125–0.25 kHz and 2.378–5.657 kHz, the mean amplitude slopes for the velocity at the ES were 2 dB oct −1 and − 3 dB oct −1, respectively. Above 5.657 kHz there was considerable inter-animal variation in the ES velocity responses. The direction of motion at the ES was frequency dependent above 1 kHz. For frequencies up to 1 kHz the ratio of CFP to ES velocity was independent of frequency; the mechanical lever ratio was 2.7, which was attributed to the geometry of the middle ear. At these frequencies the total transformer ratio for the middle ear, expressing the ratio of fluid pressure at the CFP to sound pressure at the ES, was estimated to be 35 dB.