Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Perception of Sound Waves01:01

Perception of Sound Waves

4.6K
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...
4.6K
Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location01:21

Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location

410
The human brain perceives pitch through two primary mechanisms reflected in place theory and frequency theory. Each mechanism describes how sound waves are interpreted as specific pitches by the brain, offering insights into the intricate processes of auditory perception.
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by...
410
Auditory Perception01:17

Auditory Perception

570
The auditory system is essential for sound perception, utilizing various critical structures. When sound waves enter the outer ear, they travel through the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted to the middle ear, where three tiny bones – the malleus, incus, and stapes – amplify the sound. This amplification is crucial, as it ensures that the sound vibrations are strong enough to be conveyed to the inner ear. These vibrations then reach the...
570
The Auditory Ossicles01:11

The Auditory Ossicles

1.9K
The auditory ossicles of the middle ear transmit sounds from the air as vibrations to the fluid-filled cochlea. The auditory ossicles consist of two malleus (hammer) bones, two incus (anvil) bones, and two stapes (stirrups), one on each side. These bones develop during the fetal stage and are the ones to ossify first. They are fully mature at birth and do not grow afterward.
The aptly named stapes look very much like a stirrup. The three ossicles are unique to mammals, and each plays a role in...
1.9K
Physical Assessment of the Respiratory Tract IV: Auscultation01:28

Physical Assessment of the Respiratory Tract IV: Auscultation

644
Auscultation is a crucial component of the physical assessment of the respiratory tract. It offers valuable insights into airflow through the bronchial tree and potential lung obstructions. This process involves careful listening to breath, voice, and adventitious sounds, which can reveal a wealth of information about a patient's respiratory health.
Breath Sounds
Breath sounds are categorized into vesicular, bronchovesicular, and bronchial.
644
Anatomy of the Ear01:16

Anatomy of the Ear

8.7K
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...
8.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Investigating intentionality in elephant gestural communication.

Royal Society open science·2025
Same author

Multimodal communication and audience directedness in the greeting behaviour of semi-captive African savannah elephants.

Communications biology·2024
Same author

Acoustic structure and information content of trumpets in female Asian elephants (Elephas maximus).

PloS one·2021
Same author

Author Correction to: A novel theory of Asian elephant high-frequency squeak production.

BMC biology·2021
Same author

Operant control and call usage learning in African elephants.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2021
Same author

Vocal Creativity in Elephant Sound Production.

Biology·2021

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 31, 2025

Author Spotlight: Investigating Vocal Information Representation in Small Primates and Its Alteration by Psychiatric Disorders Using Noninvasive EEG
07:52

Author Spotlight: Investigating Vocal Information Representation in Small Primates and Its Alteration by Psychiatric Disorders Using Noninvasive EEG

Published on: July 26, 2024

814

Sound Visualization Demonstrates Velopharyngeal Coupling and Complex Spectral Variability in Asian Elephants.

Veronika C Beeck1, Gunnar Heilmann2, Michael Kerscher2

  • 1Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria.

Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI
|August 26, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Asian elephants produce low-frequency rumbles using both nasal and oral vocal tracts, demonstrating velopharyngeal coupling. This vocal flexibility impacts sound characteristics, offering insights into elephant communication.

Keywords:
elephantformantfunctional morphologygraded repertoiresound productionsource-filter theoryvocal communicationvocal complexityvocal tractvocalization

More Related Videos

Hemi-laryngeal Setup for Studying Vocal Fold Vibration in Three Dimensions
10:13

Hemi-laryngeal Setup for Studying Vocal Fold Vibration in Three Dimensions

Published on: November 25, 2017

11.1K
Eliciting and Analyzing Male Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalization USV Songs
08:44

Eliciting and Analyzing Male Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalization USV Songs

Published on: May 9, 2017

15.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 31, 2025

Author Spotlight: Investigating Vocal Information Representation in Small Primates and Its Alteration by Psychiatric Disorders Using Noninvasive EEG
07:52

Author Spotlight: Investigating Vocal Information Representation in Small Primates and Its Alteration by Psychiatric Disorders Using Noninvasive EEG

Published on: July 26, 2024

814
Hemi-laryngeal Setup for Studying Vocal Fold Vibration in Three Dimensions
10:13

Hemi-laryngeal Setup for Studying Vocal Fold Vibration in Three Dimensions

Published on: November 25, 2017

11.1K
Eliciting and Analyzing Male Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalization USV Songs
08:44

Eliciting and Analyzing Male Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalization USV Songs

Published on: May 9, 2017

15.9K

Area of Science:

  • Bioacoustics
  • Animal Communication
  • Mammalogy

Background:

  • Low-frequency rumbles are vital for social coordination in elephant societies.
  • African elephants modify rumble acoustics via oral vs. nasal vocal tracts.
  • Asian elephants, less studied, also utilize complex vocalizations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate sound production mechanisms in Asian elephants using an acoustic camera.
  • To analyze spectral parameters and vocal tract resonances (formants) of elephant rumbles.
  • To determine the prevalence of nasal, oral, and combined vocalizations and identify velopharyngeal coupling.

Main Methods:

  • Recorded and analyzed 203 rumble calls from nine adult captive Asian female elephants.
  • Utilized an acoustic camera for sound emission visualization.
  • Analyzed spectral parameters, including formants and sound intensity.

Main Results:

  • The majority of rumbles (64%) were nasally emitted, 21% orally, and 13% simultaneously (velopharyngeal coupling).
  • Nasal rumbles featured lower frequencies and two formants; oral/mixed rumbles had higher formants, greater energy, and were louder.
  • Roars were the loudest, highest, and broadest in frequency.

Conclusions:

  • This study is the first to demonstrate velopharyngeal coupling in a non-human animal.
  • Findings highlight significant acoustic variability in Asian elephant vocalizations.
  • Provides a basis for understanding the adaptive functions of elephant acoustic variability and interspecies vocal flexibility.