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Vibrissal sensitivity in a harbor seal (Phoca vitulina)
Christin T Murphy1, Colleen Reichmuth2, David Mann3
1American Society for Engineering Education, 1176 Howell St, Newport, RI 02841, USA University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, 140 7th Ave. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA ctmurphy@mail.usf.edu.
The Journal of Experimental Biology
|June 10, 2015
Summary
Harbor seals possess highly sensitive vibrissal systems, detecting vibrations with remarkable precision across a wide frequency range. This study reveals their tactile sensitivity is comparable to humans, exceeding previous in-air measurements.
Area of Science:
- Marine Mammal Sensory Biology
- Comparative Physiology
- Mechanoreception
Background:
- Conflicting prior research exists on seal vibrissal system capabilities.
- The vibrissal system is crucial for sensory input in marine mammals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the vibrissal system's sensitivity to directly coupled vibrations in harbor seals.
- To compare seal tactile sensitivity with human tactile sensitivity.
Main Methods:
- A psychophysical paradigm was used to determine vibration detection thresholds in a trained harbor seal.
- Sinusoidal stimuli were delivered via a vibrating plate across nine frequencies (10–1000 Hz).
- Human subjects were tested using a similar paradigm to ground-truth the setup.
Main Results:
- Harbor seals demonstrated sensitivity to vibrations from 10 to 1000 Hz, with best sensitivity at 80 Hz (0.09 mm/s).
- Thresholds followed a U-shaped curve, indicating reduced sensitivity at very low (<20 Hz) and high (>250 Hz) frequencies.
- Seal and human tactile thresholds were comparable, despite differing mechanoreceptive systems.
Conclusions:
- Harbor seal vibrissal sensitivity is significantly higher (approx. 100x) than previously measured in-air values.
- The seal's vibrissal system exhibits sensitivity to vibrations comparable to human tactile perception.
- Findings suggest the vibrissal system is a highly effective sensory tool for harbor seals, with extended frequency detection.
