The following article will be published very soon
in the Journal of Experimental Biology:
Polar bear Ursus maritimus hearing measured with auditory evoked potentials
Paul E. Nachtigall1, Alexander Ya. Supin 2, Mats
Amundin3, Bengt Röken3 Thorsten Møller 3, T, Aran
Mooney1,Kristen A. Taylor1, and Michelle Yuen1,4,
1Marine Mammal research Program, Hawaii Institute
of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii.,HI, USA
2Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the
Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, 3
Kolmården Djurpark, Kolmården, Sweden, 4National
Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Regional Office, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Summary
While there has been recent concern about the
effects of sound on marine mammals, including
polar bears, there are no data available
measuring the hearing of any bear. The in-air
hearing of three polar bears was measured using
evoked auditory potentials obtained while tone
pips were played to three individually
anaesthetized bears at the Kolmården
Djurpark. Hearing was tested in ½ octave steps
from 1 to 22.5 kHz. Measurements were not
obtainable at 1 kHz and best sensitivity was
found in the range from 11.2-22.5 kHz.
Considering the tone pips were short and
background noise measurements were available,
absolute measurements were estimated based on an
assumed mammalian integration time of 300 ms.
These data show sensitive hearing in the polar
bear over a wide frequency range and should cause
those concerned with the introduction of
anthropogenic noise into the polar bears
environment to operate with caution.
Paul E. Nachtigall
Marine Mammal Research Program
Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology
808 247-5297
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