36
W.W.L.Au
of sounds. However, progress is being made in this area by researchers such
as Denise Herzing in the Bahamas, John Ford in the Puget Sound, Hal
Whitehead in the Azores, and others who are conducting long-term, multiyear studies of the underwater behavior of odontocetes in the wild. From
these studies we know that some species of odontocetes live in a relatively
well-ordered social groups and acoustics probably plays a large role in
preservation and functioning of their social groups. Use of signature whistles to facilitate mother-calf reunion in S. frontalis and T. tursiops, in alloparental care of juveniles, and in courtship by S. frontalis, provides glimpses
into the ways some dolphins use sounds. The presence of dialect for some
species may also be important in maintaining group cohesion and for reproductive purposes. However, there is still much to learn about the function
and meaning of sounds in the natural history of cetaceans. Although the
songs of M. novaeangliae have been studied for many years, we still are not
close to any consensus about its role and purpose, nor do we have much
evidence to support the various hypotheses that are proposed. The meaning
and function of the calls and songs of other baleen whales may be even
more intriguing but are currently baffling.
References
Alling AE, Dorsey EM, Gordon JC (1991) Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus)
off the northeast coast of Sri Lanka: distribution, feeding, and individual identification. In: Leaderwood S, Donovan GP (eds) Cetaceans and Cetacean Research
in the Indian Ocean Sanctuary. UNEP Marine Mammal Technical Report 3. New
York: pp. 247-258.
Amundin M (1991) Sound production in odontocetes with emphasis on the harbor
porpoise Phocoena phocoena (doctoral dissertation). Stockholm: University of
Stockholm.
Amundin M, Andersen SH (1983) Bony nares air pressure and nasal plug muscle
activity during click production in the harbour porpoise Phocoena and the
bottlenosed dolphin, Tursiops truncatus. J Exp BioI 105:275-282.
Andersen S (1970) Auditory sensitivity of the harbor porpoise, Phocoena phocoena.
Invest Cetacea 2:255-291.
Arogan, JL (1996) "Three-dimensional numerical simulation of biosonar emission
and reception in the common dolphin (Doctoral Dissertation), Santa Crug: University of Califorina Santa Crug.
Au WWL (1993) The Sonar of Dolphins. New York: Springer-Verlag.
Au WWL, Nachtigall PE, Pawloski JL (1997) Acoustic effects of the ATOC signal
(75Hz, 195 dB) on dolphins and whales. J Acoust Soc Am 101:2973-2977.
Au WWL, Lammers MO, Aubauer RA (1999) A portable broadband data acquisition system for use in field bioacoustics. Mar Mamm Sci 15:526-531.
Bazua-Duran MC (1997) Comparisons of whistles among different groups of
dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Gulf of Mexico (MS thesis). Mexico City:
Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico.
Blevins C, Parkins B (1973) Functional anatomy of the porpoise larynx. Am J Anat
138:151-164.
W.W.L.Au
of sounds. However, progress is being made in this area by researchers such
as Denise Herzing in the Bahamas, John Ford in the Puget Sound, Hal
Whitehead in the Azores, and others who are conducting long-term, multiyear studies of the underwater behavior of odontocetes in the wild. From
these studies we know that some species of odontocetes live in a relatively
well-ordered social groups and acoustics probably plays a large role in
preservation and functioning of their social groups. Use of signature whistles to facilitate mother-calf reunion in S. frontalis and T. tursiops, in alloparental care of juveniles, and in courtship by S. frontalis, provides glimpses
into the ways some dolphins use sounds. The presence of dialect for some
species may also be important in maintaining group cohesion and for reproductive purposes. However, there is still much to learn about the function
and meaning of sounds in the natural history of cetaceans. Although the
songs of M. novaeangliae have been studied for many years, we still are not
close to any consensus about its role and purpose, nor do we have much
evidence to support the various hypotheses that are proposed. The meaning
and function of the calls and songs of other baleen whales may be even
more intriguing but are currently baffling.
References
Alling AE, Dorsey EM, Gordon JC (1991) Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus)
off the northeast coast of Sri Lanka: distribution, feeding, and individual identification. In: Leaderwood S, Donovan GP (eds) Cetaceans and Cetacean Research
in the Indian Ocean Sanctuary. UNEP Marine Mammal Technical Report 3. New
York: pp. 247-258.
Amundin M (1991) Sound production in odontocetes with emphasis on the harbor
porpoise Phocoena phocoena (doctoral dissertation). Stockholm: University of
Stockholm.
Amundin M, Andersen SH (1983) Bony nares air pressure and nasal plug muscle
activity during click production in the harbour porpoise Phocoena and the
bottlenosed dolphin, Tursiops truncatus. J Exp BioI 105:275-282.
Andersen S (1970) Auditory sensitivity of the harbor porpoise, Phocoena phocoena.
Invest Cetacea 2:255-291.
Arogan, JL (1996) "Three-dimensional numerical simulation of biosonar emission
and reception in the common dolphin (Doctoral Dissertation), Santa Crug: University of Califorina Santa Crug.
Au WWL (1993) The Sonar of Dolphins. New York: Springer-Verlag.
Au WWL, Nachtigall PE, Pawloski JL (1997) Acoustic effects of the ATOC signal
(75Hz, 195 dB) on dolphins and whales. J Acoust Soc Am 101:2973-2977.
Au WWL, Lammers MO, Aubauer RA (1999) A portable broadband data acquisition system for use in field bioacoustics. Mar Mamm Sci 15:526-531.
Bazua-Duran MC (1997) Comparisons of whistles among different groups of
dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Gulf of Mexico (MS thesis). Mexico City:
Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico.
Blevins C, Parkins B (1973) Functional anatomy of the porpoise larynx. Am J Anat
138:151-164.