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Temporal resolution of the Risso’s dolphin, Grampus griseus, auditory system

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Abstract

Toothed whales and dolphins (Odontocetes) are known to echolocate, producing short, broadband clicks and receiving the corresponding echoes, at extremely rapid rates. Auditory evoked potentials (AEP) and broadband click stimuli were used to determine the modulation rate transfer function (MRTF) of a neonate Risso’s dolphin, Grampus griseus, thus estimating the dolphin’s temporal resolution, and quantifying its physiological delay to sound stimuli. The Risso’s dolphin followed sound stimuli up to 1,000 Hz with a second peak response at 500 Hz. A weighted MRTF reflected that the animal followed a broad range of rates from 100 to 1,000 Hz, but beyond 1,250 Hz the animal’s hearing response was simply an onset/offset response. Similar to other mammals, the dolphin’s AEP response to a single stimulus was a series of waves. The delay of the first wave, PI, was 2.76 ms and the duration of the multi-peaked response was 4.13 ms. The MRTF was similar in shape to other marine mammals except that the response delay was among the fastest measured. Results predicted that the Risso’s dolphin should have the ability to follow clicks and echoes while foraging at close range.

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Abbreviations

ABR:

Auditory brainstem response

AEP:

Auditory evoked potential

DAQ:

Data acquisition

EEG:

Electroencephalogram

EFR:

Envelope following response

FFT:

Fast Fourier transform

ICI:

Inter click interval

MRTF:

Modulation rate transfer function

RFR:

Rate following response

SAM:

Sinusoidal amplitude modulated

SPL:

Sound pressure level

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Acknowledgements

The authors are in grateful appreciation to Pedro Lavia and Elio Vicente of ZooMarine Portugal, acknowledging that none of the data would have been collected without their generosity and scientific interest. Also, the authors thank Alexander Ya. Supin for invaluable continual advice, Darlene R. Ketten for referring the task, Trevor Spradlin and Roger Gentry for advice about permits, and Whitlow Au and our colleagues at the Marine Mammal Research Program of the University of Hawaii. Two anonymous reviewers provided valuable advice on the manuscript. This study was supported by the Office of Naval Research grant N00014-98-1-0687, for which the authors thank Mardi Hastings and Robert Gisiner. This is contribution number 1213 from the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Mammal Research Program, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology and Department of Zoology, University of Hawaii, 46-007 Lilipuna Rd, Kaneohe, HI, 96744, USA

    T. Aran Mooney, Paul E. Nachtigall & Michelle M. L. Yuen

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  1. T. Aran Mooney
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  2. Paul E. Nachtigall
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  3. Michelle M. L. Yuen
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Correspondence to T. Aran Mooney.

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Mooney, T.A., Nachtigall, P.E. & Yuen, M.M.L. Temporal resolution of the Risso’s dolphin, Grampus griseus, auditory system. J Comp Physiol A 192, 373–380 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-005-0075-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-005-0075-4

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