The fundamental period emerges from pooled nerve firing intervals across all places

Evidence

Visually it can be seen in Figure 3.11 that if the entries in all these interspike interval histograms were added together vertically (i.e., for each firing time interval), then the maximum entry would occur for the period of f0. This is reinforced when it is remembered that all places higher than those shown in the figure would exhibit outputs similar to those shown above the eighth harmonic. Notice how all the places where harmonics are resolved have an entry in their histograms at the fundamental period as a direct result of the fact that nerves may not fire in every cycle. This is the basis on which the temporal theory of pitch perception is thought to function. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 906

Categorization

• DEFINE: Explains the mechanism by which the temporal theory extracts the fundamental period from nerve firing statistics.
• XREF: Connects to place-versus-temporal pitch perception theories introduced in earlier chapters on the cochlea and basilar membrane. — connects to: Neurons firing irregularly across harmonics reveal the fundamental period — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 923