The Sensory Physiology of Aquatic Mammals

This text presents findings in the study of the sensory functions of aquatic mammals, with an emphasis on hearing, vision, and somatic senses. The book opens with a discussion of the anatomy and mechanics of the cetacean middle and inner ear and demonstrates what makes it particularly sensitive to high frequencies; it then focuses on vision in aquatic mammals: specifically, those with centrally-symmetric eye optics with a quasi-spherical lens and hemispheric eyecup. Finally, it concludes with a comparative analysis of sensory systems of aquatic mammals and terrestrial mammals.