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MARINE MAMMAL SIGNALS IN BUBBLY WATER
"... Marine mammal calls often propagate through bubbly water, be it generated under breaking waves, wakes, or even by the mammals themselves. Two hypothetical circumstances are of particular interest: the possible use of acoustic signals to trap prey in bubble nets; and the possible ability of dolphin s ..."
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Marine mammal calls often propagate through bubbly water, be it generated under breaking waves, wakes, or even by the mammals themselves. Two hypothetical circumstances are of particular interest: the possible use of acoustic signals to trap prey in bubble nets; and the possible ability of dolphin sonar to operate in bubbly water (such as the surf zone) that would
Imitating Sounds: A Cognitive Approach to Understanding Vocal Imitation
"... Vocal imitation is often described as a specialized form of learning that facilitates social communication and that involves less cognitively sophisticated mechanisms than more “perceptually opaque ” types of imitation. Here, we present an alternative perspective. Considering current evidence from a ..."
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Vocal imitation is often described as a specialized form of learning that facilitates social communication and that involves less cognitively sophisticated mechanisms than more “perceptually opaque ” types of imitation. Here, we present an alternative perspective. Considering current evidence from adult mammals, we note that vocal imitation often does not lead to learning and can involve a wide range of cognitive processes. We further suggest that sound imitation capacities may have evolved in certain mammals, such as cetaceans and humans, to enhance both the perception of ongoing actions and the prediction of future events, rather than to facilitate mate attraction or the formation of social bonds. The ability of adults to voluntarily imitate sounds is better described as a cognitive skill than as a communicative learning mechanism. Sound imitation abilities are gradually acquired through practice and require the coordination of multiple perceptual-motor and cognitive mechanisms for representing and generating sounds. Understanding these mechanisms is critical to explaining why relatively few mammals are capable of flexibly imitating sounds, and why individuals vary in their ability to imitate sounds.
The Nature of Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) Song
"... The nature of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) song has long interested both scientists and the general public. Research strongly indicates that humpback whale song is an important component in the social behaviour of breeding humpback whales, with proposals that the song has an intra-and/or ..."
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The nature of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) song has long interested both scientists and the general public. Research strongly indicates that humpback whale song is an important component in the social behaviour of breeding humpback whales, with proposals that the song has an intra-and/or inter-sexual selection component. Some scientists, how-ever, have alternate hypotheses, such as song being a means of sonar for detecting females. Song is not the only factor in-volved in humpback whale breeding behaviour, as groups of males follow and may physically compete for females. Hence, the exact nature of humpback whale song and its relation to their breeding behaviour is unclear. Why does whale song con-tinuously change throughout the breeding season, and why do new songs spread so quickly throughout a population? In many respects, the nature of humpback whale song may resemble and parallel bird song. For example, many bird species that display innovation in the male’s song also have increased re-productive fitness, and a similar situation may occur in male humpback whales. To explain why such innovation may be selected for in humpback whales, this paper postulates that sexual selection in humpback whales may have both a physical and cognitive fitness component. “No one knew why humpbacks sang. Nate had been listening to them, observing them, photographing them, and poking them with sticks for twenty-five years, and still he had no idea why, exactly, they sang”. From Christopher Moore. Fluke. Or I know why the winged whale sings. Harper Collins. 2004.
Humpback Whale Song or Humpback Whale Sonar? A Reply to Au et al.
"... Abstract—Au and colleagues ’ arguments against the hypothesis that humpback whale songs function as long-range sonar are based on questionable assumptions rather than on empirical data. Like other echolocating mammals (e.g., bats), singing humpback whales: 1) localize targets in the absence of visua ..."
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Abstract—Au and colleagues ’ arguments against the hypothesis that humpback whale songs function as long-range sonar are based on questionable assumptions rather than on empirical data. Like other echolocating mammals (e.g., bats), singing humpback whales: 1) localize targets in the absence of visual information; 2) possess a highly innervated peripheral auditory system; and 3) modulate the temporal and spectral features of their sounds based on environmental conditions. The sonar equation is inadequate for determining whether humpback whale songs generate detectable echoes from other whales because it does not account for temporal variables that can strongly affect the detectability of echoes. In particular, the sonar equation ignores the fact that much of the noise encountered by singing humpback whales is spectrally and temporally predictable, and that audition in mammals is a dynamic and plastic process. Experiments are needed to test the hypothesis that singing humpback whales listen for and respond to echoes generated by their songs. Index Terms—Baleen whale, cetacean, environmentally-adaptive sonar, low-frequency sonar, mysticete.
TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS............................................................................................................. 2 TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS.....................................................................................
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North Pacific Right Whale
"... (Balaneoptera physalus) Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) ..."
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TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS............................................................................................................. 2 TABLE OF TABLES.............................................................................................
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North Pacific Right Whale Endangered No No No (Eubalaena japonica)
"... physalus) ..."
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Consultation by: Endangered Species Act Interagency Cooperation Division ofthe Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service Approved by:
, 2013
"... This biological opinion was prepared by NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Endangered ..."
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This biological opinion was prepared by NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Endangered
Consultation by: Endangered Species Division of the Office of Protected Resources, National
, 2011
"... mammals incidental to training on the Gulf of Alaska Temporary Maritime ..."
