scholarly journals Low-frequency hearing preceded the evolution of giant body size and filter feeding in baleen whales

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1848) ◽  
pp. 20162528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Travis Park ◽  
Alistair R. Evans ◽  
Stephen J. Gallagher ◽  
Erich M. G. Fitzgerald

Living baleen whales (mysticetes) produce and hear the lowest-frequency (infrasonic) sounds among mammals. There is currently debate over whether the ancestor of crown cetaceans (Neoceti) was able to detect low frequencies. However, the lack of information on the most archaic fossil mysticetes has prevented us from determining the earliest evolution of their extreme acoustic biology. Here, we report the first anatomical analyses and frequency range estimation of the inner ear in Oligocene (34–23 Ma) fossils of archaic toothed mysticetes from Australia and the USA. The cochlear anatomy of these small fossil mysticetes resembles basilosaurid archaeocetes, but is also similar to that of today's baleen whales, indicating that even the earliest mysticetes detected low-frequency sounds, and lacked ultrasonic hearing and echolocation. This suggests that, in contrast to recent research, the plesiomorphic hearing condition for Neoceti was low frequency, which was retained by toothed mysticetes, and the high-frequency hearing of odontocetes is derived. Therefore, the low-frequency hearing of baleen whales has remained relatively unchanged over the last approximately 34 Myr, being present before the evolution of other signature mysticete traits, including filter feeding, baleen and giant body size.

1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 1061-1079 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. M. Fuzessery

1. While hunting, the pallid bat uses passive sound localization at low frequencies to find terrestrial prey, and echolocation for general orientation. It must therefore process two different types of acoustic input at the same time. The pallid bat's echolocation pulse is a downward frequency-modulated (FM) sweep from 60 to 30 kHz. This study examined the response selectivity of single neurons in the pallid bat's central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (ICC) for FM sweeps, comparing the response properties of the high-frequency population, tuned to the biosonar pulse, with the low-frequency population, tuned below the pulse. The working hypothesis was that the high-frequency population would exhibit a response selectivity for downward FM sweeps that was not present in the low-frequency population. 2. Neurons were tested for their selectivity for FM sweep direction, duration, frequency range and bandwidth, and rate of frequency change. The extent to which they responded exclusively to tones, noise, and FM sweeps was also examined. Significant differences in the response properties of neurons in the two populations were found. In the low-frequency population, all neurons responded to tones, but only 50% responded to FM sweeps. Only 23% were selective for sweep direction. In the high-frequency population, all neurons responded to FM sweeps, but 31% did not respond to tones. Over one-half of this population was selective for sweep direction, and of those that were selective, all preferred the downward sweep direction of the biosonar pulse. A large percentage (31%) responded exclusively to downward sweeps, and not to tones or upward sweeps. None of the cells in either population responded to noise, or did so only at very high relative thresholds. 3. Both populations contained neurons that were selective for short stimulus durations that approximated the duration of the biosonar pulse, although the percentage was greater in the high-frequency population (58% vs. 20%). In the high-frequency population, 31% of the neurons tested for duration responded exclusively to both the sweep direction and duration of the biosonar pulse. 4. Downward FM-selective neurons, with one exception, were generally insensitive to the rate of frequency change of the FM sweep, as well as the frequency range and bandwidth of the sweep. They responded similarly to both the full 60- to 30-kHz sweep and to 5-kHz bandwidth portions of the full sweep.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


1971 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 527-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norman P. Erber

Two types of special hearing aid have been developed recently to improve the reception of speech by profoundly deaf children. In a different way, each special system provides greater low-frequency acoustic stimulation to deaf ears than does a conventional hearing aid. One of the devices extends the low-frequency limit of amplification; the other shifts high-frequency energy to a lower frequency range. In general, previous evaluations of these special hearing aids have obtained inconsistent or inconclusive results. This paper reviews most of the published research on the use of special hearing aids by deaf children, summarizes several unpublished studies, and suggests a set of guidelines for future evaluations of special and conventional amplification systems.


2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1864) ◽  
pp. 20171670 ◽  
Author(s):  
Molly C. Womack ◽  
Jakob Christensen-Dalsgaard ◽  
Luis A. Coloma ◽  
Juan C. Chaparro ◽  
Kim L. Hoke

Sensory losses or reductions are frequently attributed to relaxed selection. However, anuran species have lost tympanic middle ears many times, despite anurans' use of acoustic communication and the benefit of middle ears for hearing airborne sound. Here we determine whether pre-existing alternative sensory pathways enable anurans lacking tympanic middle ears (termed earless anurans) to hear airborne sound as well as eared species or to better sense vibrations in the environment. We used auditory brainstem recordings to compare hearing and vibrational sensitivity among 10 species (six eared, four earless) within the Neotropical true toad family (Bufonidae). We found that species lacking middle ears are less sensitive to high-frequency sounds, however, low-frequency hearing and vibrational sensitivity are equivalent between eared and earless species. Furthermore, extratympanic hearing sensitivity varies among earless species, highlighting potential species differences in extratympanic hearing mechanisms. We argue that ancestral bufonids may have sufficient extratympanic hearing and vibrational sensitivity such that earless lineages tolerated the loss of high frequency hearing sensitivity by adopting species-specific behavioural strategies to detect conspecifics, predators and prey.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1932
Author(s):  
Weixuan Wang ◽  
Qinyan Xing ◽  
Qinghao Yang

Based on the newly proposed generalized Galerkin weak form (GGW) method, a two-step time integration method with controllable numerical dissipation is presented. In the first sub-step, the GGW method is used, and in the second sub-step, a new parameter is introduced by using the idea of a trapezoidal integral. According to the numerical analysis, it can be concluded that this method is unconditionally stable and its numerical damping is controllable with the change in introduced parameters. Compared with the GGW method, this two-step scheme avoids the fast numerical dissipation in a low-frequency range. To highlight the performance of the proposed method, some numerical problems are presented and illustrated which show that this method possesses superior accuracy, stability and efficiency compared with conventional trapezoidal rule, the Wilson method, and the Bathe method. High accuracy in a low-frequency range and controllable numerical dissipation in a high-frequency range are both the merits of the method.


Geophysics ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 854-859 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao Ming Tang

A new technique for measuring elastic wave attenuation in the frequency range of 10–150 kHz consists of measuring low‐frequency waveforms using two cylindrical bars of the same material but of different lengths. The attenuation is obtained through two steps. In the first, the waveform measured within the shorter bar is propagated to the length of the longer bar, and the distortion of the waveform due to the dispersion effect of the cylindrical waveguide is compensated. The second step is the inversion for the attenuation or Q of the bar material by minimizing the difference between the waveform propagated from the shorter bar and the waveform measured within the longer bar. The waveform inversion is performed in the time domain, and the waveforms can be appropriately truncated to avoid multiple reflections due to the finite size of the (shorter) sample, allowing attenuation to be measured at long wavelengths or low frequencies. The frequency range in which this technique operates fills the gap between the resonant bar measurement (∼10 kHz) and ultrasonic measurement (∼100–1000 kHz). By using the technique, attenuation values in a PVC (a highly attenuative) material and in Sierra White granite were measured in the frequency range of 40–140 kHz. The obtained attenuation values for the two materials are found to be reliable and consistent.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (15) ◽  
pp. 3157 ◽  
Author(s):  
O ◽  
Jin ◽  
Choi

In this paper, we propose a compact four-port coplanar antenna for cognitive radio applications. The proposed antenna consists of a coplanar waveguide (CPW)-fed ultra-wideband (UWB) antenna and three inner rectangular loop antennas. The dimensions of the proposed antenna are 42 mm × 50 mm × 0.8 mm. The UWB antenna is used for spectrum sensing and fully covers the UWB spectrum of 3.1–10.6 GHz. The three loop antennas cover the UWB frequency band partially for communication purposes. The first loop antenna for the low frequency range operates from 2.96 GHz to 5.38 GHz. The second loop antenna is in charge of the mid band from 5.31 GHz to 8.62 GHz. The third antenna operates from 8.48 GHz to 11.02 GHz, which is the high-frequency range. A high isolation level (greater than 17.3 dB) is realized among the UWB antenna and three loop antennas without applying any additional decoupling structures. The realized gains of the UWB antenna and three loop antennas are greater than 2.7 dBi and 1.38 dBi, respectively.


2015 ◽  
Vol 655 ◽  
pp. 182-185
Author(s):  
Ke Lan Yan ◽  
Run Hua Fan ◽  
Min Chen ◽  
Kai Sun ◽  
Xu Ai Wang ◽  
...  

The phase structure, and electrical and magnetic properties of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3(LSMO)-xAg (xis the mole ratio,x=0, 0.3, 0.5) composite were investigated. It is found that the sample withx=0 is single phase; the samples withx=0.3 and 0.5 present three phase composite structure of the manganese oxide and Ag. With the increasing of Ag content, the grain size of the samples increases and the grain boundaries transition from fully faceted to partially faceted. The permittivity of spectrum (10 MHz - 1 GHz) and the theoretical simulation reveal that the plasma frequencyfpincrease with Ag content, due to the increasing of free electron concentration, which is further supported by the enhancement of conductivity. While for the permeability (μr'), theμr'decrease with the increasing of Ag content at low frequency range (f< 20 MHz), while at the relative high frequency range (f> 300 MHz), theμr'increased with Ag content. Therefore, the introduction of elemental Ag resulted in a higherμr'at the relative high frequency range.


2007 ◽  
Vol 280-283 ◽  
pp. 919-924
Author(s):  
M.S. Jogad ◽  
V.K. Shrikhande ◽  
A.H. Dyama ◽  
L.A. Udachan ◽  
Govind P. Kothiyal

AC and DC conductivities have been measured by using the real (e¢) and imaginary (e¢¢) parts of the dielectric constant data of glass and glass-ceramics (GC) at different temperatures in the rage 297-642K and in the frequency range 100 Hz to 10 MHz. Using Anderson –Stuart model, we have calculated the activation energy, which is observed to be lower than that of the DC conductivity. The analysis for glass/glass-ceramics indicates that the conductivity variation with frequency exhibits an initial linear region followed by nonlinear region with a maximum in the high-frequency region. The observed frequency dependence of ionic conductivity has been analyzed within the extended Anderson–Stuart model considering both the electrostatic and elastic strain terms. In glass/glassceramic the calculations based on the Anderson-Stuart model agree with the experimental observations in the low frequency region but at higher frequencies there is departure from measured data.


2007 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 11-17
Author(s):  
Ronald M. Aarts

Conventionally, the ultimate goal in loudspeaker design has been to obtain a flat frequency response over a specified frequency range. This can be achieved by carefully selecting the main loudspeaker parameters such as the enclosure volume, the cone diameter, the moving mass and the very crucial “force factor”. For loudspeakers in small cabinets the results of this design procedure appear to be quite inefficient, especially at low frequencies. This paper describes a new solution to this problem. It consists of the combination of a highly non-linear preprocessing of the audio signal and the use of a so called low-force-factor loudspeaker. This combination yields a strongly increased efficiency, at least over a limited frequency range, at the cost of a somewhat altered sound quality. An analytically tractable optimality criterion has been defined and has been verified by the design of an experimental loudspeaker. This has a much higher efficiency and a higher sensitivity than current low-frequency loudspeakers, while its cabinet can be much smaller.


Geophysics ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 59 (8) ◽  
pp. 1201-1210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duff C. Stewart ◽  
Walter L. Anderson ◽  
Thomas P. Grover ◽  
Victor F. Labson

A new instrument designed for frequency‐domain sounding in the depth range 0–10 m uses short coil spacings of 5 m or less and a frequency range of 300 kHz to 30 MHz. In this frequency range, both conduction currents (controlled by electrical conductivity) and displacement currents (controlled by dielectric permittivity) are important. Several surface electromagnetic survey systems commonly used (generally with frequencies less than 60 kHz) are unsuitable for detailed investigation of the upper 5 m of the earth or, as with ground‐penetrating radar, are most effective in relatively resistive environments. Most computer programs written for interpretation of data acquired with the low‐frequency systems neglect displacement currents, and are thus unsuited for accurate high‐frequency modeling and interpretation. New forward and inverse computer programs are described that include displacement currents in layered‐earth models. The computer programs and this new instrument are used to evaluate the effectiveness of shallow high‐frequency soundings based on measurement of the tilt angle and the ellipticity of magnetic fields. Forward model studies indicate that the influence of dielectric permittivity provides the ability to resolve thin layers, especially if the instrument frequency range can be extended to 50 MHz. Field tests of the instrument and the inversion program demonstrate the potential for detailed shallow mapping wherein both the resistivity and the dielectric permittivity of layers are determined. Although data collection and inversion are much slower than for low‐frequency methods, additional information is obtained inasmuch as there usually is a permittivity contrast as well as a resistivity contrast at boundaries between different materials. Determination of dielectric permittivity is particularly important for hazardous waste site characterization because the presence of some contaminants may have little effect on observed resistivity but a large effect on observed permittivity.


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