Elephants have a unique way of communicating with each other through ground vibrations, according to new research. Their large and heavy ears, along with ear canals that can be sealed off at will, allow them to stay in touch with other herd members through vibrations over six miles away.

How it Works

The vibrations are transmitted from elephants’ feet through their legs and ultimately through the bones of their skull directly into the inner ear. This method, called ‘bone-conduction hearing,’ can be perceived across distances of 10 kilometers or more.

A new study has found that elephants’ bone-conduction hearing is significantly improved through their larger middle ear structures and possibly further enhanced by voluntarily closing the ear canal. Researchers used temporal bones from deceased elephants and human donors to conduct the study.

The research team attached the temporal bones to a device that creates vibrations mimicking sound traveling through the body into the skull. By shining a laser beam, it measured how much tiny reflective markers placed on the middle ear bones moved in response to vibrations generated by low- and high-frequency stimulation.

The study opens avenues for further research, and the team says that understanding elephants’ hearing capabilities could help us better understand their behavior and communication patterns.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.