Your attention please: increasing ambient noise levels elicits a change in communication behaviour in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Your attention please: increasing ambient noise levels elicits a change in communication behaviour in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)
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DOI：
10.1098/rspb.2009.2319
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发表时间：
2010-08-22
影响因子：
4.7
通讯作者：
Noad, Michael J.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Dunlop, Rebecca A.;Cato, Douglas H.;Noad, Michael J.
高背景噪声是成功信号检测和感知预期声学信号的重要障碍。为了克服这个问题，许多动物通过增加信号的重复率、持续时间、幅度或频率范围来修改它们的声音信号。确保成功接收信号的另一种方法（尚未在动物身上进行测试）涉及使用两种不同类型的信号，其中一种信号类型可能会在高背景噪声期间增强另一种信号类型。座头鲸的通讯信号包括两种不同的类型：声音信号和表面产生的信号，例如“突破”或“胸拍”。我们发现，随着风速和背景噪音水平的增加，座头鲸逐渐从以声音为主的交流转变为以表面产生的交流为主，但同时保留了这两种信号类型。语音信号的优点是具有较高的信息内容，但可能具有在嘈杂的环境中丢失这些信息的缺点。表面产生的声音的能量分布在更大的频率范围内，并且在风生噪音较大的时期不太可能变得混乱，但与声音相比，其信息内容较少。因此，表面产生的声音可以改善噪声环境中声音信号的检测或增强感知。
High background noise is an important obstacle in successful signal detection and perception of an intended acoustic signal. To overcome this problem, many animals modify their acoustic signal by increasing the repetition rate, duration, amplitude or frequency range of the signal. An alternative method to ensure successful signal reception, yet to be tested in animals, involves the use of two different types of signal, where one signal type may enhance the other in periods of high background noise. Humpback whale communication signals comprise two different types: vocal signals, and surface-generated signals such as 'breaching' or 'pectoral slapping'. We found that humpback whales gradually switched from primarily vocal to primarily surface-generated communication in increasing wind speeds and background noise levels, though kept both signal types in their repertoire. Vocal signals have the advantage of having higher information content but may have the disadvantage of loosing this information in a noisy environment. Surface-generated sounds have energy distributed over a greater frequency range and may be less likely to become confused in periods of high wind-generated noise but have less information content when compared with vocal sounds. Therefore, surface-generated sounds may improve detection or enhance the perception of vocal signals in a noisy environment.