Question 1
Cicadas: Produce a high pitched chirping sound used for mating sound. Sound from vibrations from the tymbals (part of the exo-skeleton) on either side of their abdomen. They are produced by the cicada pulling in and releading its ribs hundreds of times a second. This sound is amplified by the two sound waves (one from each tymbal) meeting and forcing each other out. Kinetic (vibration energy) is transferred through the air becoming sound energy to hit a human ear drum. 1
Howler Monkey: Produce a howling sound. Sound from vibrations made in a special voice box in its throat. Amplified by the pouch in their throat that acts as an amplification device, “…like the horn in an old gramophone.”2 Air is sent from the lungs to the voice box where it vibrates the vocal chords producing sound which is released into the air as sound energy, then hitting a human ear drum.
Blue whales: Produce very loud, repeating low frequency sounds. The production center is unknown but it is assumed that production occurs at the layrinx, unlike humans and other mamals there are no vocal chords and sound is produced by moving air through tubes in the layrinx. The sound is then carried by water which acts as a better medium then air for the transferal of vibrations.3
COMPARISON TABLE
Animal
Cicada
Howler Monkey
Blue Whale
Humans
Use
Mating call
Communication with tribe
Communication/echo location
Communication
Production
Buckling of ribs
Voice box
Not 100% known, assumed air through tubes in larynx
Air pushed over vocal chords which cause vibrations
Volume
Many can reach 100db1
88 db4
Up to 188 db3
60-65db5
Amplification
Sound waves from Tybals meeting
Echo effect in special part of throat
Travels well through water
Can vary.
Question 2
Range of frequencies detected by6;
Humans- 64-23,000Hz
Bats- 2,000-110,000 Hz
Dogs- 67-45,000
Bats- Have some of the best frequency detection and enables them to use echolocation through there production of...