title: Temporal processing of low-frequency sounds by seals (L).
abstract: In a recent study, Kastelein et al. [(2010) J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 127, 1135-1145] reported auditory integration times for harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) exceeding 3000 ms for 200 Hz tonal signals. This finding is unexpected and potentially significant given that time constants measured in mammals for tones above 1 kHz are typically less than 500 ms. To further explore this result, the hearing of another harbor seal was measured in air and water for 200 Hz tones with durations of 500 and 2500 ms. Threshold comparisons, as well as reaction time measures, revealed no gain in audibility as signal duration increased above 500 ms.
authors.affiliation: Long Marine Laboratory, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95060, USA. coll@ucsc.edu
authors.forename: Colleen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reichmuth
authors.forename: Asila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghoul
authors.forename: Brandon L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Southall
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000388:Air; D000818:Animals; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001307:Auditory Perception; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D046049:Phoca / Q000523:psychology*; D011571:Psychoacoustics; D011930:Reaction Time; D017603:Signal Detection, Psychological; D013997:Time Factors; D013998:Time Perception; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water