Toothed Whales Catch Food in the Deep Using Vocal Fry

Typography

Dolphins and other toothed whales are large brained top predators that captivate our imagination; they are extremely social, they cooperate, and can hunt prey down to 2km deep in complete darkness with echolocation.

Dolphins and other toothed whales are large brained top predators that captivate our imagination; they are extremely social, they cooperate, and can hunt prey down to 2km deep in complete darkness with echolocation.  

All these remarkable behaviors are mediated using sound that travels far and fast in murky and dark waters. However, it has remained a mystery how these amazing animals make their rich vocal repertoires in the deep. 

Now a new study (DOI: 10.1126/science.adc9570) in the prestigious journal Science reports that toothed whales evolved an air-driven nasal sound source that operates at different vocal registers like the human voice.  

Read more at University Of Southern Denmark

Infographic Credit: Mikkel Larris, University of Southern Denmark.