Echolocation in Toothed Whales
How Toothed Whales use Echolocation?
Echolocation is a process of emitting sound and the interpreting and understanding of the echos which follow to determine an animal’s surroundings. This processed is used by different animals living in different environments but one of the most notable is the use of echolocation by toothed whales. Toothed Whales such as Dolphins and many types of Whales live under water and use echolocation for understanding of their surroundings, hunting and even social interactions.[1] This is done by the sending out of sounds (mainly as clicks) and listening for the reflected echoes made after these soundwaves hit objects.[1] Toothed whales are special with their ability to interpret these …show more content…
A large mound of fat called acoustic lipids[5] and this mound often called a melon[9]. The clicks by the toothed whales are generated within interconnected channels behind the melon .[1] The dolphin is able to change the shape of the melon and become an acoustic lens which condenses the waves in to a beam.[5] The echoes are received at a point in the lower jaw of the animal sometimes called the “acoustic window”. This section is also fat filled and helps the wave travel to the dolphins ear, allowing the ear to start vibrating at the same frequency as the wave so that the wave can be interpreted by the brain. [10] Why Toothed Whales use Echolocation?
Toothed whales such as the sperm whale do very deep dives in to the ocean in to areas which are pitch black as light does not travel that far in to water.[5] With no light rays to reflect off objects and travel in to the animals’ eyes for the animal to see the animal can not see their surroundings and so uses sound. A large use of echolocation is in the hunting of prey for food.[11] [10]
With the
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How Toothed Whales use Echolocation?
Echolocation is a process of emitting sound and the interpreting and understanding of the echos which follow to determine an animal’s surroundings. This processed is used by different animals living in different environments but one of the most notable is the use of echolocation by toothed whales. Toothed Whales such as Dolphins and many types of Whales live under water and use echolocation for understanding of their surroundings, hunting and even social interactions.[1] This is done by the sending out of sounds (mainly as clicks) and listening for the reflected echoes made after these soundwaves hit objects.[1] Toothed whales are special with their ability to interpret these …show more content…
A large mound of fat called acoustic lipids[5] and this mound often called a melon[9]. The clicks by the toothed whales are generated within interconnected channels behind the melon .[1] The dolphin is able to change the shape of the melon and become an acoustic lens which condenses the waves in to a beam.[5] The echoes are received at a point in the lower jaw of the animal sometimes called the “acoustic window”. This section is also fat filled and helps the wave travel to the dolphins ear, allowing the ear to start vibrating at the same frequency as the wave so that the wave can be interpreted by the brain. [10] Why Toothed Whales use Echolocation?
Toothed whales such as the sperm whale do very deep dives in to the ocean in to areas which are pitch black as light does not travel that far in to water.[5] With no light rays to reflect off objects and travel in to the animals’ eyes for the animal to see the animal can not see their surroundings and so uses sound. A large use of echolocation is in the hunting of prey for food.[11] [10]
With the
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