Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Echo

Echo

The human ear cannot distinguish between two sources of sound if they happen to reach within a specific time interval, typically 0.1 seconds apart. More than this, and they are perceived as separate sources.
Imagine the sound is reflected back to the ears. Assuming that the source is very close to the human, the difference between hearing the two sounds—the emitted sound and the reflected sound—may be more than the minimum time for perceiving distinct sounds. If this is the case, then the...

Hearing

Hearing

When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.

The Cochlea

The Cochlea

The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.

Hair Cells

Hair Cells

Hair cells are the sensory receptors of the auditory system—they transduce mechanical sound waves into electrical energy that the nervous system can understand. Hair cells are located in the organ of Corti within the cochlea of the inner ear, between the basilar and tectorial membranes. The actual sensory receptors are called inner hair cells. The outer hair cells serve other functions, such as sound amplification in the cochlea, and are not discussed in detail here.

Perception of Sound Waves

Perception of Sound Waves

The human ear is not equally sensitive to all frequencies in the audible range. It may perceive sound waves with the same pressure but different frequencies as having different loudness. Moreover, the perception of sound waves depends on the health of an individual's ears, which decays with age. The health of one's ears may also be affected by regular exposure to loud noises.
The pitch of a sound depends on the frequency and the pressure amplitude of the source. Two sounds of the same frequency...

Anatomy of the Ear

Anatomy of the Ear

Auditory sensation, commonly called hearing, involves the transformation of sonic waves into neural impulses facilitated by the structures of the auditory organ. The prominent, flesh-like structure on the side of the head, called the auricle, directs sound waves towards the auditory canal. The auricle is often mislabeled as the pinna, a term more aligned with mobile structures like a feline's external ear. The auditory canal penetrates the cranium via the external auditory meatus of the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

High Frequency hearing in echolocating dolphins.

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·2023

Same author

High Ripple-Density Resolution for Discriminating Between Rippled and Nonrippled Signals: Effect of Temporal Processing or Combination Products?

Trends in hearing·2021

Same author

Correction to: Modulation rate transfer functions from four species of stranded odontocete (Stenella longirostris, Feresa attenuata, Globicephala melas, and Mesoplodon densirostris).

Journal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology·2021

Same author

The startle reflex in echolocating odontocetes: basic physiology and practical implications.

The Journal of experimental biology·2020

Same author

Transmission beam pattern and dynamics of a spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris).

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·2019

Same author

Off-axis targets maximize bearing Fisher Information in broadband active sonar.

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·2018

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Environmental DNA Sampling from Whale-Watching Vessels for Cetacean Monitoring

Environmental DNA Sampling from Whale-Watching Vessels for Cetacean Monitoring

Published on: April 10, 2026

A false killer whale adjusts its hearing when it echolocates.

Paul E Nachtigall¹, Alexander Y Supin

¹Marine Mammal Research Program, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, PO Box 1106, Kailua, HI 96734, USA. nachtiga@hawaii.edu

The Journal of Experimental Biology

|May 21, 2008

Summary

Marine mammals like whales use active hearing control during echolocation. This process helps them manage loud outgoing clicks and faint returning echoes for effective navigation and hunting underwater.

More Related Videos

Long-term Behavioral Tracking of Freely Swimming Weakly Electric Fish

Long-term Behavioral Tracking of Freely Swimming Weakly Electric Fish

Published on: March 6, 2014

Eliciting and Analyzing Male Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalization (USV) Songs

Eliciting and Analyzing Male Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalization (USV) Songs

Published on: May 9, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Environmental DNA Sampling from Whale-Watching Vessels for Cetacean Monitoring

Environmental DNA Sampling from Whale-Watching Vessels for Cetacean Monitoring

Published on: April 10, 2026

Long-term Behavioral Tracking of Freely Swimming Weakly Electric Fish

Long-term Behavioral Tracking of Freely Swimming Weakly Electric Fish

Published on: March 6, 2014

Eliciting and Analyzing Male Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalization (USV) Songs

Eliciting and Analyzing Male Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalization (USV) Songs

Published on: May 9, 2017

Area of Science:

Marine biology
Bioacoustics
Auditory neuroscience

Background:

Auditory evoked potential (AEP) measurements enhance understanding of marine mammal hearing.
Previous research focused on echolocation signals, not the hearing processes during active echolocation.
Studies have included Risso's dolphins, white-beaked dolphins, and polar bears.

Purpose of the Study:

To examine the hearing mechanisms of marine mammals during active echolocation.
To investigate how false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) process outgoing echolocation clicks and returning echoes.
To understand the role of active hearing control in echolocation.

Main Methods:

Utilized auditory evoked potential (AEP) measurements.
Employed a trained false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) equipped with surface suction cup electrodes.
Recorded AEPs in response to outgoing clicks, returning echoes, and simulated signals in various scenarios.

Main Results:

Whales perceive outgoing clicks and returning echoes at comparable levels.
Protective mechanisms reduce the intensity of outgoing signals by approximately 40 dB.
Hearing sensitivity adjusts to maintain echo perception despite changes in target distance or size.
An active 'automatic gain control' mechanism balances outgoing pulse intensity and echo return.

Conclusions:

Marine mammal hearing during echolocation is an active, dynamic process.
Whales possess sophisticated mechanisms to manage auditory input during echolocation.
This active hearing control is crucial for effective underwater navigation and foraging.