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5.5 gather and process information from secondary sources to outline and compare some of the structures used by animals to produce sound
gather and process information from secondary sources to outline and compare some of the structures used by animals to produce sound
- Gather information from a range of resources including popular scientific journals, CD ROMs and the Internet.
- Animals use a range of structures to produce sounds. Process the information by preparing a brief outline to show how some animals do this. Some animals of interest include dolphins, whales, manatees, cicadas, rattlesnakes, bats, frogs and birds.
- A table like the one below is an effective tool to assist you to record information. Most mammals use their breathing systems to make sounds.
Animal |
Description of structure used to produce sound |
bats
|
ultrasonic signals from the bat’s larynx
|
grasshoppers
|
friction of the back legs or rubs the veins on the wings together (stridulating)
|
frogs
|
male frogs vocalise by squeezing their lungs while shutting their nostrils and mouth, air flows over their vocal cords and into their vocal sacs
|
fish
|
some fish vibrate their swim bladders to create sound
|
Compare these structures. How are they similar? How are they different?
A useful starting point is the web site Biosonar
University of Bristol, UK.
- Animals use sounds for a variety of purposes. These include attack, escape, identification, warn off predators, mark territory, attract mates and for locating each other.
- Secondary sources you could use include library books or the Internet. Good examples to look for include gulls, bees, dolphins, humpback whales and the great apes.
A useful starting point is the web site Bioacoustics
Oregon State Universtiy.