Scientists might have finally figured out how whales sing
Researchers studying baleen whales found they have evolved a specialized voice box that isn't found in any other animals.
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Researchers studying baleen whales found they have evolved a specialized voice box that isn't found in any other animals.
<p>The iconic baleen whales, such as the blue, gray and humpback whale, depend on sound for communication in the vast marine environment where they live. Now researchers have for the first time found that baleen whales evolved novel structures in their larynx to make their vast array of underwater songs.</p>
An analysis of the animal’s larynx reveals how they adapted to communicate underwater and their physical limits producing sound
Scientists deduce how whales sing under the sea, and why they can be drowned out by noisy ships.
Whales sing loud enough that their songs travel through the ocean, but knowing the mechanics behind that has been a mystery. Scientists now think they have an idea, and it's something not seen in other animals: a specialized voice box.