Complex vibratory patterns in an elephant larynx - PubMed (original) (raw)
Comparative Study
. 2013 Nov 1;216(Pt 21):4054-64.
doi: 10.1242/jeb.091009.
Affiliations
- PMID: 24133151
- DOI: 10.1242/jeb.091009
Comparative Study
Complex vibratory patterns in an elephant larynx
Christian T Herbst et al. J Exp Biol. 2013.
Abstract
Elephants' low-frequency vocalizations are produced by flow-induced self-sustaining oscillations of laryngeal tissue. To date, little is known in detail about the vibratory phenomena in the elephant larynx. Here, we provide a first descriptive report of the complex oscillatory features found in the excised larynx of a 25 year old female African elephant (Loxodonta africana), the largest animal sound generator ever studied experimentally. Sound production was documented with high-speed video, acoustic measurements, air flow and sound pressure level recordings. The anatomy of the larynx was studied with computed tomography (CT) and dissections. Elephant CT vocal anatomy data were further compared with the anatomy of an adult human male. We observed numerous unusual phenomena, not typically reported in human vocal fold vibrations. Phase delays along both the inferior-superior and anterior-posterior (A-P) dimension were commonly observed, as well as transverse travelling wave patterns along the A-P dimension, previously not documented in the literature. Acoustic energy was mainly created during the instant of glottal opening. The vestibular folds, when adducted, participated in tissue vibration, effectively increasing the generated sound pressure level by 12 dB. The complexity of the observed phenomena is partly attributed to the distinct laryngeal anatomy of the elephant larynx, which is not simply a large-scale version of its human counterpart. Travelling waves may be facilitated by low fundamental frequencies and increased vocal fold tension. A travelling wave model is proposed, to account for three types of phenomena: A-P travelling waves, 'conventional' standing wave patterns, and irregular vocal fold vibration.
Keywords: excised larynx experiment; high-speed video; larynx anatomy; transverse travelling wave; vestibular folds; vocal fold vibration; voice production.
Comment in
- The same but different: human-like elephant calls.
Stead N. Stead N. J Exp Biol. 2013 Nov 1;216(Pt 21):i-ii. J Exp Biol. 2013. PMID: 24298640 No abstract available.
Similar articles
- How low can you go? Physical production mechanism of elephant infrasonic vocalizations.
Herbst CT, Stoeger AS, Frey R, Lohscheller J, Titze IR, Gumpenberger M, Fitch WT. Herbst CT, et al. Science. 2012 Aug 3;337(6094):595-9. doi: 10.1126/science.1219712. Science. 2012. PMID: 22859490 - Effects of asymmetric superior laryngeal nerve stimulation on glottic posture, acoustics, vibration.
Chhetri DK, Neubauer J, Bergeron JL, Sofer E, Peng KA, Jamal N. Chhetri DK, et al. Laryngoscope. 2013 Dec;123(12):3110-6. doi: 10.1002/lary.24209. Epub 2013 Aug 5. Laryngoscope. 2013. PMID: 23712542 Free PMC article. - The First Application of the Two-Dimensional Scanning Videokymography in Excised Canine Larynx Model.
Wang SG, Park HJ, Cho JK, Jang JY, Lee WY, Lee BJ, Lee JC, Cha W. Wang SG, et al. J Voice. 2016 Jan;30(1):1-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2014.09.029. Epub 2015 Aug 19. J Voice. 2016. PMID: 26296852 - What can vortices tell us about vocal fold vibration and voice production.
Khosla S, Murugappan S, Gutmark E. Khosla S, et al. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2008 Jun;16(3):183-7. doi: 10.1097/MOO.0b013e3282ff5fc5. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2008. PMID: 18475068 Review. - Vocal communication in African elephants (Loxodonta africana).
Soltis J. Soltis J. Zoo Biol. 2010 Mar-Apr;29(2):192-209. doi: 10.1002/zoo.20251. Zoo Biol. 2010. PMID: 19434672 Review.
Cited by
- Field Propagation Experiments of Male African Savanna Elephant Rumbles: A Focus on the Transmission of Formant Frequencies.
Baotic A, Garcia M, Boeckle M, Stoeger A. Baotic A, et al. Animals (Basel). 2018 Sep 30;8(10):167. doi: 10.3390/ani8100167. Animals (Basel). 2018. PMID: 30274350 Free PMC article. - Investigation of phonatory characteristics using ex vivo rabbit larynges.
Döllinger M, Kniesburges S, Berry DA, Birk V, Wendler O, Dürr S, Alexiou C, Schützenberger A. Döllinger M, et al. J Acoust Soc Am. 2018 Jul;144(1):142. doi: 10.1121/1.5043384. J Acoust Soc Am. 2018. PMID: 30075689 Free PMC article. - The remarkable vocal anatomy of the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus): insights into low-frequency sound production in a marsupial species.
Frey R, Reby D, Fritsch G, Charlton BD. Frey R, et al. J Anat. 2018 Apr;232(4):575-595. doi: 10.1111/joa.12770. Epub 2018 Feb 19. J Anat. 2018. PMID: 29460389 Free PMC article. - Sexual dimorphism in African elephant social rumbles.
Baotic A, Stoeger AS. Baotic A, et al. PLoS One. 2017 May 10;12(5):e0177411. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177411. eCollection 2017. PLoS One. 2017. PMID: 28489908 Free PMC article. - What Pinnipeds Have to Say about Human Speech, Music, and the Evolution of Rhythm.
Ravignani A, Fitch WT, Hanke FD, Heinrich T, Hurgitsch B, Kotz SA, Scharff C, Stoeger AS, de Boer B. Ravignani A, et al. Front Neurosci. 2016 Jun 20;10:274. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00274. eCollection 2016. Front Neurosci. 2016. PMID: 27378843 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Miscellaneous