My Perspective

All natural sounds including animal vocalisations have distinct temporal structure consisting of individual segments with variations over time that are either slow or fast. The ability to extract, represent, and detect an acoustic feature depends on the time window used for processing the acoustic signal. A short analysis window provides higher temporal resolution while a long analysis window provides higher spectral resolution. This aspect of auditory perception is ethologically important since fast and accurate response to acoustic stimuli is critical to the survival of many animals, for instance their ability to hunt prey and avoid predators.