Toothed whales use distinct vocal registers for echolocation and communication
Echolocating toothed whales (odontocetes) capture fast-moving prey in dark marine environments, which critically depends on their ability to generate powerful, ultrasonic clicks. How their supposedly air-driven sound source can produce biosonar clicks at depths of >1000 meters, while also produci...
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American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
2023
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.adc9570 https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.adc9570 |
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craaas:10.1126/science.adc9570 2024-06-23T07:57:12+00:00 Toothed whales use distinct vocal registers for echolocation and communication Madsen, Peter T. Siebert, Ursula Elemans, Coen P. H. 2023 http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.adc9570 https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.adc9570 en eng American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science volume 379, issue 6635, page 928-933 ISSN 0036-8075 1095-9203 journal-article 2023 craaas https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adc9570 2024-06-06T04:01:26Z Echolocating toothed whales (odontocetes) capture fast-moving prey in dark marine environments, which critically depends on their ability to generate powerful, ultrasonic clicks. How their supposedly air-driven sound source can produce biosonar clicks at depths of >1000 meters, while also producing rich vocal repertoires to mediate complex social communication, remains unknown. We show that odontocetes possess a sound production system based on air driven through nasal passages that is functionally analogous to laryngeal and syringeal sound production. Tissue vibration in different registers produces distinct echolocation and communication signals across all major odontocete clades, and thus provides a physiological basis for classifying their vocal repertoires. The vocal fry register is used by species from porpoises to sperm whales for generating powerful, highly air-efficient echolocation clicks. Article in Journal/Newspaper toothed whales AAAS Resource Center (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Science 379 6635 928 933 |
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Open Polar |
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AAAS Resource Center (American Association for the Advancement of Science) |
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craaas |
language |
English |
description |
Echolocating toothed whales (odontocetes) capture fast-moving prey in dark marine environments, which critically depends on their ability to generate powerful, ultrasonic clicks. How their supposedly air-driven sound source can produce biosonar clicks at depths of >1000 meters, while also producing rich vocal repertoires to mediate complex social communication, remains unknown. We show that odontocetes possess a sound production system based on air driven through nasal passages that is functionally analogous to laryngeal and syringeal sound production. Tissue vibration in different registers produces distinct echolocation and communication signals across all major odontocete clades, and thus provides a physiological basis for classifying their vocal repertoires. The vocal fry register is used by species from porpoises to sperm whales for generating powerful, highly air-efficient echolocation clicks. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Madsen, Peter T. Siebert, Ursula Elemans, Coen P. H. |
spellingShingle |
Madsen, Peter T. Siebert, Ursula Elemans, Coen P. H. Toothed whales use distinct vocal registers for echolocation and communication |
author_facet |
Madsen, Peter T. Siebert, Ursula Elemans, Coen P. H. |
author_sort |
Madsen, Peter T. |
title |
Toothed whales use distinct vocal registers for echolocation and communication |
title_short |
Toothed whales use distinct vocal registers for echolocation and communication |
title_full |
Toothed whales use distinct vocal registers for echolocation and communication |
title_fullStr |
Toothed whales use distinct vocal registers for echolocation and communication |
title_full_unstemmed |
Toothed whales use distinct vocal registers for echolocation and communication |
title_sort |
toothed whales use distinct vocal registers for echolocation and communication |
publisher |
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.adc9570 https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.adc9570 |
genre |
toothed whales |
genre_facet |
toothed whales |
op_source |
Science volume 379, issue 6635, page 928-933 ISSN 0036-8075 1095-9203 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adc9570 |
container_title |
Science |
container_volume |
379 |
container_issue |
6635 |
container_start_page |
928 |
op_container_end_page |
933 |
_version_ |
1802650713703055360 |