Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.093773
Title: Hearing pathways in the Yangtze finless porpoise, Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis
Authors: Mooney, T.A
Li, S 
Ketten, D.R
Wang, K
Wang, D
Keywords: animal
animal communication
article
auditory brainstem response
evoked auditory response
hearing
interpersonal communication
marine mammal
noise
Odontocete
physiology
porpoise
Sensory
sound
Auditory brainstem response
Communication
Marine mammal
Noise
Odontocete
Sensory
Animal Communication
Animals
Evoked Potentials, Auditory
Hearing
Porpoises
Sound
Issue Date: 2014
Citation: Mooney, T.A, Li, S, Ketten, D.R, Wang, K, Wang, D (2014). Hearing pathways in the Yangtze finless porpoise, Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis. Journal of Experimental Biology 217 (3) : 444-452. ScholarBank@NUS Repository. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.093773
Rights: Attribution 4.0 International
Abstract: How an animal receives sound may influence its use of sound. While 'jaw hearing' is well supported for odontocetes, work examining how sound is received across the head has been limited to a few representative species. The substantial variation in jaw and head morphology among odontocetes suggests variation in sound reception. Here, we address how a divergent subspecies, the Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis) hears low-, mid- and high-frequency tones, as well as broadband clicks, comparing sounds presented at different locations across the head. Hearing was measured using auditory evoked potentials (AEPs). Click and tone stimuli (8, 54 and 120 kHz) were presented at nine locations on the head and body using a suctioncup transducer. Threshold differences were compared between frequencies and locations, and referenced to the underlying anatomy using computed tomography (CT) imaging of deceased animals of the same subspecies. The best hearing locations with minimum thresholds were found adjacent to a mandibular fat pad and overlaying the auditory bulla. Mean thresholds were not substantially different at locations from the rostrum tip to the ear (11.6 dB). This contrasts with tests with bottlenose dolphins and beluga whales, in which 30-40 dB threshold differences were found across the animals' heads. Response latencies increased with decreasing response amplitudes, which suggests that latency and sensitivity are interrelated when considering sound reception across the odontocete head. The results suggest that there are differences among odontocetes in the anatomy related to receiving sound, and porpoises may have relatively less acoustic 'shadowing'. © 2014. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.
Source Title: Journal of Experimental Biology
URI: https://scholarbank.nus.edu.sg/handle/10635/180150
ISSN: 0022-0949
DOI: 10.1242/jeb.093773
Rights: Attribution 4.0 International
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