Nature Podcast
How whales sing without drowning, an anatomical mystery solved
Feb 23, 2024
An exploration of how baleen whales produce their iconic deep tones, revealing the evolution of their vocal structures. Discover how baleen whales use a modified larynx to create vocalizations, but are limited by their anatomy in escaping anthropogenic noise pollution. Insights into the challenges faced by whales due to human-generated noise and the need for regulations to protect them.
14:28
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Quick takeaways
- Baleen whales use a modified version of the larynx to produce sounds, limiting frequency and depth.
- Toothed whales have evolved a specialized organ in their nose for sound production during deep dives.
Deep dives
Evolution of Sound Production in Baleen Whales
Baleen whales, among the largest animals on Earth, use sound to navigate, communicate, and find food in the vast ocean. They produce low-frequency sounds, ranging from 10 to 300 Hz, to locate each other. Unlike toothed whales, baleen whales maintain the ability to make sounds through adaptations in their larynx, using unique structures that involve vocal folds to create sounds that are ancestral to all baleen whales.
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