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Related Concept Videos

Hearing01:31

Hearing

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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.
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Echo01:06

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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,...
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Anatomy of the Ear01:16

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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...
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The Cochlea01:13

The Cochlea

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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.
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A circuit for detection of interaural time differences in the nucleus laminaris of turtles.

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Specialization for underwater hearing by the tympanic middle ear of the turtle, Trachemys scripta elegans.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 29, 2026

Ocular Kinematics Measured by In Vitro Stimulation of the Cranial Nerves in the Turtle
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Underwater Hearing in Turtles.

Katie L Willis1

  • 1Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA. kwillis@umd.edu.

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
|November 28, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Turtle hearing is poorly understood, with best frequencies around 500 Hz, and lower thresholds underwater. Further research is needed to assess anthropogenic noise impacts on these aquatic reptiles.

Keywords:
AmphibiousAuditoryMiddle earReptile

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Area of Science:

  • Zoology
  • Bioacoustics
  • Auditory Neuroscience

Background:

  • Turtle hearing is significantly less understood than that of other reptiles.
  • Existing data indicate higher hearing thresholds in turtles compared to other reptiles, with optimal frequencies near 500 Hz.
  • Turtles exhibit lower hearing thresholds underwater than in air due to middle ear cavity resonance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the current gaps in knowledge regarding turtle auditory systems.
  • To emphasize the need for research into turtle vulnerability to anthropogenic noise, particularly underwater.
  • To underscore the importance of understanding the turtle auditory scene, including their vocalizations and responses to sound.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on turtle hearing and auditory system morphology.
  • Analysis of data on hearing thresholds and best frequencies in various turtle species.
  • Examination of studies on middle ear cavity morphology and its implications for underwater hearing.

Main Results:

  • Turtles possess a unique middle ear cavity morphology common across all families, optimized for underwater hearing.
  • This morphology supports the hypothesis of an aquatic evolutionary origin for turtles.
  • Limited audiograms and behavioral data exist for most turtle species, hindering comprehensive understanding.

Conclusions:

  • The aquatic auditory environment is crucial for understanding turtle hearing.
  • Further research is essential to establish baseline auditory data for turtles to assess anthropogenic noise impacts.
  • Investigating species-specific vocalizations and auditory relevance is key to understanding the turtle auditory scene.