Volume Control Built In to Whales

[StormInateacup]

False Killer whales can adjust their hearing when they anticipate a louder than normal sound, this protecting their ultra sensitive aural abilities which are sensitive and so essential for hunting.


this is the first time in the world that such conformation has been found.


www.bbc.co.uk/nature/18085158

[The Mad Hatter]

Cool. Nature is amazing.

[Random Panther]

"[This] makes us very optimistic that many echolocating porpoises dolphins and whales will be able to change their hearing to protect it if they are properly warned," said Dr Nachtigall.

Seems a mammoth task to set up an audible signal around sources of excessive noise that cetaceans will recgonise as a warning,but a most certainly worthwhile task.

[Deleted]

I think this is the coolest thing I've heard in a really long time.

Go whales!!

It would be interesting if they could reproduce how they do that.

[Tofu DeBeast]

May 17, 2012 15:51:50 GMT -5 Random Panther said:

"[This] makes us very optimistic that many echolocating porpoises dolphins and whales will be able to change their hearing to protect it if they are properly warned," said Dr Nachtigall.

Seems a mammoth task to set up an audible signal around sources of excessive noise that cetaceans will recgonise as a warning,but a most certainly worthwhile task.

An interesting engineering challenge to be sure. I wonder if it could be as simple as ramping up the sound volumes gradually enough that the whales could adjust to it?

Bats protect their hearing similarly. They have to. Their ears are very sensitive for echolocation, so they need to protect him when they are emitting the loud and high-pitched shrieks that they use for echolocation.

[The Mad Hatter]

I have to adjust my hearing due to very loud stoopid

[marisol]