• Corpus ID: 83916134

a Theory for the Function of the Spermaceti Organ of the Sperm Whale (physeter Catodon L)

@inproceedings{Norris1972aTF,
  title={a Theory for the Function of the Spermaceti Organ of the Sperm Whale (physeter Catodon L)},
  author={Kenneth Stafford Norris and George W. Harvey},
  year={1972}
}
The function of the spermaceti organ of the sperm whale is studied using a model of its acoustic system. Suggested functions of the system include: (1) action as an acoustic resonating and sound focussing chamber to form and process burst-pulsed clicks; (2) use of nasal passages in forehead for repeated recycling of air for phonation during dives and to provide mirrors for sound reflection and signal processing; and (3) use of the entire system to allow sound signal production especially useful… 
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135 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
11
Background Citations
46
Methods Citations
4
Results Citations
2

135 Citations

Structure and Proportions of the Spermaceti Organ in the Sperm Whale
The head of the sperm whale ( Physeter macrocephalus L.), which is largely snout and the crest of the skull necessary to support it, may exceed a third of the total weight and a quarter of the length…
Sound velocity measurements on samples from the spermaceti organ of the sperm whale (Physeter catodon)
Click production during breathing in a sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus).
TLDR
The capability of breathing and clicking at the same time is unique among studied odontocetes and relates to the extreme asymmetry of the sperm whale sound-producing forehead.
Sound transmission in the spermaceti complex of a recently expired sperm whale calf
Sound pulses were projected into the forehead of a neonate, female sperm whale that died following a stranding and attempts to revive it. Two hydrophones, held against the skin, recorded the sound…
Sound velocity in the head of the dwarf sperm whale, Kogia sima, with anatomical and functional discussion
  • J. Goold, M. Clarke
  • Physics
    Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
  • 2000
TLDR
The results suggest that, at normal body temperature, sound travelling from the back to the front of the melon would have a tendency to focus during dives to any depth, largely due to heat exchange across the periphery of themelon.
The nose of the sperm whale: overviews of functional design, structural homologies and evolution
TLDR
Comparison of nasal structures in sperm whales and other toothed whales reveals that the existing air sac system as well as the fat bodies and the musculature have the same topographical relations and thus may be homologous in all toOThed whales (Odontoceti).
Buoyancy Control as a Function of the Spermaceti Organ in the Sperm Whale
TLDR
Evidence will be presented in support of the hypothesis that the sperm whale can attain neutral buoyancy at depths greater than 200 m by control of the temperature of the spermaceti oil in its head by showing that the whale probably has some control over its own buoyancy.
Sound production in neonate sperm whales (L)
TLDR
It is demonstrated that sperm whale clicks are produced at the anterior placed monkey lips, thereby substantiating a key point in the modified Norris and Harvey theory and supporting the unifying theory of sound production in odontocetes.
Wave propagation in the biosonar organ of sperm whales using a finite difference time domain method
The bio-sonar of sperm whales presents many specific characteristics, such as its size, its loudness or its vocalization abilities. Furthermore it fulfills several roles in their foraging and social…
Sperm whales (Physeter catodon L. 1758) do not react to sounds from detonators.
A number of observations show that sperm whales (Physeter catodon L. 1758) react to various man-made pulses with moderate source levels. The behavioral responses are described to vary from silence to…
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References

SHOWING 1-10 OF 11 REFERENCES
Function of the Spermaceti Organ of the Sperm Whale
THE structure of the head of the sperm whale (Physeter catodon) was described in outline by Pouchet and Beauregard1–3 and by Raven and Gregory4, but the function of the large, wax filled spermaceti…
The History of Whales-Their Adaptation to Life in the Water
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  • Environmental Science
    The Quarterly Review of Biology
  • 1928
TLDR
It is possible that the forebears of the whales may have found either a safe refuge from more active predatory types, or an abundance of food in shallow water and along the shores, and available data indicate that the late Sir William Flower was not far wrong when he suggested that the ancestors of whales frequented fresh water and that search for their remains should be made in the fresh water deposits of the Cretaceous period.
The spermaceti organ and nasal passages of the sperm whale (Physeter catodon) and other odontocetes. American Museum novitates ; no. 677
Echolocation in an Atlantic Bottlenose Porpoise During Discrimination
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Behavior of the Sperm Whale Physeter catodon L
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Gular Musculature in Delphinids
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The Evolution of Acoustic Mechanisms in Odontocete Cetaceans
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Underwater Communication Sounds of the Sperm Whale, Physeter catodon
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Physeter Clicks. I n : Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises
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