Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are one of the most cosmopolitan marine mammal species with potential widespread exposure to anthropogenic noise impacts. Previous audiometric data on this species were from two adult females [Szymanski, Bain, Kiehl, Pennington, Wong, and Henry (1999). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 108, 1322–1326] and one sub-adult male [Hall and Johnson (1972). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 51, 515–517] with apparent high-frequency hearing loss. All three killer whales had best sensitivity between 15 and 20 kHz, with thresholds lower than any odontocete tested to date, suggesting this species might be particularly sensitive to acoustic disturbance. The current study reports the behavioral audiograms of eight killer whales at two different facilities. Hearing sensitivity was measured from 100 Hz to 160 kHz in killer whales ranging in age from 12 to 52 year. Previously measured low thresholds at 20 kHz were not replicated in any individual. Hearing in the killer whales was generally similar to other delphinids, with lowest threshold (49 dB re 1 μPa) at approximately 34 kHz, good hearing (i.e., within 20 dB of best sensitivity) from 5 to 81 kHz, and low- and high-frequency hearing cutoffs (>100 dB re μPa) of 600 Hz and 114 kHz, respectively.
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April 2017
April 05 2017
Killer whale (Orcinus orca) behavioral audiograms
Brian K. Branstetter;
Brian K. Branstetter
a)
1
National Marine Mammal Foundation
, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, No. 200, San Diego, California 92106, USA
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Judy St. Leger;
Judy St. Leger
2
Sea World San Diego
, 500 Sea World Drive, San Diego, California 92109, USA
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Doug Acton;
Doug Acton
3
Sea World San Antonio
, 10500 Sea World Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78251, USA
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John Stewart;
John Stewart
2
Sea World San Diego
, 500 Sea World Drive, San Diego, California 92109, USA
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Dorian Houser;
Dorian Houser
1
National Marine Mammal Foundation
, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, No. 200, San Diego, California 92106, USA
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James J. Finneran;
James J. Finneran
4U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program,
Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific
, Code 71510, 53560 Hull Street, San Diego, California 92152, USA
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Keith Jenkins
Keith Jenkins
4U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program,
Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific
, Code 71510, 53560 Hull Street, San Diego, California 92152, USA
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a)
Electronic mail: brian.branstetter@nmmf.org
J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 141, 2387–2398 (2017)
Article history
Received:
December 07 2016
Accepted:
March 10 2017
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Comments on “Killer whale (Orcinus orca) behavioral audiograms” [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 141, 2387–2398 (2017)]
Citation
Brian K. Branstetter, Judy St. Leger, Doug Acton, John Stewart, Dorian Houser, James J. Finneran, Keith Jenkins; Killer whale (Orcinus orca) behavioral audiograms. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 1 April 2017; 141 (4): 2387–2398. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4979116
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