The following article will be published very soon in the Journal
of Experimental Biology:
Polar bear Ursus maritimus hearing measured with
auditory evoked potentials
Paul E. Nachtigall1, Alexander Ya. Supin 2, Mats
Amundin3, Bengt Röken3 Thorsten Møller
3, T, Aran Mooney1,Kristen A.
Taylor1, and Michelle Yuen1,4,
1Marine Mammal research Program, Hawaii Institute of Marine
Biology, University of Hawaii.,HI, USA 2Institute of Ecology
and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, 3
Kolmården Djurpark, Kolmården, Sweden, 4National Marine
Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Regional Office, Honolulu,
Hawaii.
Summary
While there has been recent concern about the effects of sound on marine
mammals, including polar bears, there are no data available measuring the
hearing of any bear. The in-air hearing of three polar bears was measured
using evoked auditory potentials obtained while tone pips were played to
three individually anaesthetized bears at the Kolmården Djurpark.
Hearing was tested in ½ octave steps from 1 to 22.5 kHz.
Measurements were not obtainable at 1 kHz and best sensitivity was found
in the range from 11.2-22.5 kHz. Considering the tone pips were short and
background noise measurements were available, absolute measurements were
estimated based on an assumed mammalian integration time of 300 ms. These
data show sensitive hearing in the polar bear over a wide frequency range
and should cause those concerned with the introduction of anthropogenic
noise into the polar bear’s environment to operate with caution.
Paul E. Nachtigall
Marine Mammal Research Program
Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology
808 247-5297