Echolocation

How is a dolphin’s head structured to omit and receive sound in a way that enables echolocation? Be clear about the basic biological structures that are involved.

How does Daniel’s ability to use a form of echolocation provide evidence for the plasticity of the brain?

Dr. Roberts, who helped create OpenPSYC, worked for three years at the Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Lab in Honolulu, Hawaii. Some of the research there was on the precision of the dolphins’ echolocation. Here is a short clip from a documentary filmed at the lab - pay particular attention to how the researchers tested what the dolphin is able to perceive by listening to the echoes of their own sounds. 

It turns out that humans are even capable of adapting to use echolocation. Watch a short clip filmed at the University of Maryland with Daniel, who was born blind, and Dr. Cindy Moss, a researcher who studies bat echolocation. 

Back to Unit 06 - Sensation & Perception