Bio Sonar Flashcards
What is Biosonar/Echolocation ?
Building a sound-picture of an organisms surroundings
By emitting sound waves and analysing the echoes.
What are the benefits of Biosonar ?
Gives access to habitats with insufficient ambient light
As can localise & recognise using Biosonar.
What is localisation ?
The ability to identify objects within a habitat- enabling changes in distance and direction.
What is strange about the Biosonar of the Egyptian fruit bat ?
Clicks its tongue to create noise.
Most bats use voice box.
Give the 2 main steps of Biosonar.
Production of sound
Listening for changes
(such as echoes)
What is the main reason for the development of Biosonar ?
To enable organisms to breed in caves.
Give 2 species of bird which use audible clicks for Biosonar
Oilbirds (South America)
Swiftlets (Asia)
How do toothed whales use Biosonar ?
Use high intensity clicks
Prey detection
Give the group of organisms which are the most accomplished at Biosonar.
Microbats
used for orientation and feeding
What did L Spallanzani conclude in 1794 ?
That blinded bats can fly as normal, however blocking their ears renders them helpless
Proposed- eyes on ears
Give the 2 individuals who discovered that bats use ultrasonic echolocation,
Don Griffin 1938
S. Dijkgraaf 1943
What did Ken Norris discover in 1961 ?
Echolocation in toothed whales
What makes it hard to detect prey underwater ?
Impedance mismatch
Sound penetrates body tissue just as easily as water
What does produce an echo under water ?
Bones and the swim bladder
Not body tissue.
How can dolphins detect buried fish ?
Sound in water penetrates sand and silt.
Listen for echo off bones and swim bladder.
