Scientists have recently made some fascinating discoveries about how baleen whales produce their unique underwater songs. Through a study published in Nature, researchers explored the voice boxes of three beached baleen whales (humpback, minke, sei) to remove the secrets.
The study, led by Coen Elemans of the University of Southern Denmark, involved examining the whales' larynxes (喉) and conducting experiments in the lab. By blowing air through the voice boxes, scientists identified the tissues that vibrate(震动) and even created computer models to match them to recordings of similar whales taken in the wild.
They lack vocal(发声的) cords and teeth but feature a unique U-shaped tissue structure that helps breathe air rapidly. This, coupled with a thick cushion of fat and muscle in voice boxes, enables whales to produce songs by pushing the tissue against the cushion.
Elemans said they depend on the production of sound to communicate in the dark of the deep oceans. "For example, humpback females and their calves communicate by voice, and humpback males sing to attract females," he added.
Jeremy Goldbogen, a professor of oceans, said, "This is the most comprehensive and significant study to date on how baleen whales vocalize."
Meanwhile , whale expert Joy Reidenberg said the whale voice boxes tested were from younger animals, not adult males, so further experiments on adult males are needed to confirm the study's findings. "Right now, our technology involves sticking a scope(镜头)into a whale to see what exactly is vibrating. However, we're never going to be able to do that in a wild animal,"she added.
Despite that, these experiments offer valuable insights into how these creatures communicate and how human activities, such as shipping noise, impact their connection through songs.
