AN EXPERIMENTAL DEMONSTRATION OF THE ABILITY OF AN ATLANTIC BOTTLENOSED DOLPHIN TO DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN WHISTLES OF OTHER INDIVIDUALS OF THE SAME SPECIES.
Abstract
Results are presented of acoustic tests done on a juvenile male Tursiops truncatus to determine his capability for discriminating between any and all signature whistles of two other young males from the same locality. The results indicate that this discrimination is possible, regardless of the situation under which the whistle is emitted. The duration of signal (whistle) necessary for the subject's performance to be 100% correct is shown to be approximately 0.45 seconds which coincides with the duration of one complete sound loop, or single sinousoidal frequency oscillation, of a whistle emission of the animal designated as the positive stimulus in the tests. Methods of training are discussed and illustrations are presented of test whistles, along with graphs showing results of the subject's level of performance as correlated with both number of trials and duration of signal. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1969
- Accession Number
- AD0695407
Entities
People
- David K. Caldwell
- Melba C. Caldwell
- Nicholas R. Hall