Hydrodynamic Trail-Following in Harbor Seals ( Phoca vitulina )
2001; American Association for the Advancement of Science; Volume: 293; Issue: 5527 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1126/science.1060514
ISSN1095-9203
AutoresGuido Dehnhardt, Björn Mauck, Wolf Hanke, Horst Bleckmann,
Tópico(s)Ship Hydrodynamics and Maneuverability
ResumoMarine mammals often forage in dark or turbid waters. Whereas dolphins use echolocation under such conditions, pinnipeds apparently lack this sensory ability. For seals hunting in the dark, one source of sensory information may consist of fish-generated water movements, which seals can detect with their highly sensitive whiskers. Water movements in the wake of fishes persist for several minutes. Here we show that blindfolded seals can use their whiskers to detect and accurately follow hydrodynamic trails generated by a miniature submarine. This shows that hydrodynamic information can be used for long-distance prey location.
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