The major areas of sound reception are the fat-filled cavities of the lower jaw bones. Sounds are received and conducted through the lower jaw to the middle ear, inner ear, and then to hearing centers in the brain via the auditory nerve. By this complex system of echolocation, odontocetes can determine size, shape, speed, distance, direction, and even some of the internal structure of objects in the water. Many of the details of echolocation are not completely understood. Research on echolocation continues.
Dolphins produce high frequency clicks that pass through the melon.
These sound waves bounce off objects in the water and return to the dolphin in the form of an echo. Inc. All Rights Reserved.