Echolocation in Marine Biology Essay - 958 Words

Marine mammals such as dolphins and fish each have a frequency unique to each species, as well as each organism, in a pod.(Baker, 2013) Scientists have called these â€Å"signature whistles† Elsevier, 1989). Organisms use these whistles similar to how we use names, associating the frequency to specific individuals in the pod. Whales have a frequency between 40-80 kilohertz while dolphins at about 3-23 kilohertz. Due to the sound differences, organisms are able to distinguish between organisms of different species and individuals in their pods, or neighboring pods. If individuals of a species are capable of individualising their â€Å"signature whistles† are they able to then use those signature whistles to develop ways of hunting fish using†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ When marine mammals send sound out these sounds, they rely on the speed of sound and an objects mass for the waves to bounce off of and return to the original individual from which the so und was transmitted. Marine mammals use specific bones and fat in their jaws in order to absorb the sound waves, and channel them into the inner ear which in turn transmits that to the brain (Kellogg, 2012). When a marine mammal transmits sound waves, they depend upon an objects vibrations, and acoustic reverberance to display their surroundings through hearing, instead of sight. Marine mammals rely on low frequency sound waves, or infrasonic sound waves, with lower wave lengths which can travel at lengths of up to 1000 kilometers ( U.S Department of the Interior). Once a sound has been transmitted, and it returns to the sender, bones located in the animals jaw, and fat surrounding the jaw, absorb the frequencies, and transmit them to the inner ear (Bragg, 2000). The ear consists of three main parts, the outer, middle, and inner ear. The inner ear consists of the cochlear, as well as many other parts, which transmits information given to it, directly to the brain which in turn reads the information and sends other signals to the organism in response (Barack, Robert 2014). The ear receives, transmits, and responds immediately, allowing for efficient, survival tactics which could save the animals life. IfShow MoreRelatedEcholocation Is A Sensory Ability That Uses The Reflection1291 Words   |  6 PagesEcholocation is a sensory ability that uses the reflection of sound to locate objects. It works by emitting high frequency sound waves into their environment and reflecting off objects. The sound waves returns back to the animal for visual guidance. The information perceived from emitting the sound waves are typically used for distance and direction but are also used in a variety of ways such as finding food or escaping from predators. There are certain animals that use these traits both in waterRead MoreKiller Whales : The Killer Whale Essay1647 Words   |  7 Pagesreferred to as an orca. Killer whales are important to biology because they are essentia l to the oceanic ecosystem. They keep the food chain intake balanced by regulating certain marine mammals, and that helps other animals to not become overpopulated. Killer whales are also important because they help the economy due to whale watching. Killer whales help science by helping scientist understand echolocation which helps them learn more about marine species and how to protect ocean animals from otherRead MoreThe Dangers Encountered by the Orcinus Orca2089 Words   |  8 Pages The types include resident, transient and off shore. Although there are different types of killer whales, they all face the same threats. For this reason, all killer whales are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The MMPA prohibits, with certain exceptions, the take of marine mammals in U.S. waters and by U.S. citizens on the high seas5. Furthermore, These species or stocks must not be permitted to fall below their optimum sustainable population level (depleted) (NOAA Fisher ies)Read More_x000C_Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis355457 Words   |  1422 Pagesunderstanding of science? The article â€Å"From Here to Equity: The Inï ¬â€šuence of Status on Student Access to and Understanding of Science† (Culture and Comparative Studies [1999]: 577– 602) described a study on the effect of group discussions on learning biology concepts. An analysis of the relationship between status and â€Å"rate of talk† (the number of ontask speech acts per minute) during group work included gender as a blocking variable. Do you think that gender is a useful blocking variable? Explain.