Cetacean sound production/reception mechanisms. Acoustic Head-Related Transfer Functions (HRTF) Model

The LAB has a profound interest in shedding light on the physics underlying sound propagation within cetacean heads. From an acoustic stand point, cetacean heads are complex transducers that produce and receive sounds in a quite different way as in other mammals. In dolphins, most of the acoustic energy is transduced to the medium through the melon, while hearing main physical path is the lower jaw. By digital reconstruction of cetacean heads and their integration in 3D acoustic simulation tools, we hope to unravel the apparent complexity of the sound transduction process. Among other outcomes, this quite ambitious project will help better understand the bioacoustic processes involved in acoustic hearing impairment in cetaceans.