Researchers image entire whale in CT scanner built for rocket engines
Whales may have even greater hearing sensitivity than previously thought, according to a group of San Diego State University researchers who recently managed to scan an 11-foot minke whale to examine its ears and eyes.
The researchers had to commit to two years of waiting before they could book an industrial CT facility—one typically used to image solid-fuel rocket engines—Discover Magazine reported. The team “caught a lucky break” when a young minke whale, small enough to fit into a large-scale machine, beached itself and was euthanized.
The trial successfully shed light on whales’ hearing and seeing processes. For minke whales in particular, the researchers found that while the species’ hearing is optimized for the lower frequency sounds that are used to communicate across long distances, minkes can also pick up on higher frequency sounds produced by their predators.
“As the cacophony of human activities in the oceans increases, it’s becoming more important for researchers to understand how sea life will be affected,” the Discover report read. “Knowing exactly how, and in what range, whales can hear will help researchers better protect these massive mammals of the sea.”
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After graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington with a bachelor’s in journalism, Anicka joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering cardiology. Close to her heart is long-form journalism, Pilot G-2 pens, dark chocolate and her dog Harper Lee.