海豹的聲音密碼- 破解海豹溝通密碼
northern elephant seals pic:http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikebaird/2238584778/
Scientists learning the snorty language of northern elephant seals are hoping to understand how the giant mammals use vocalizations to prevent costly fights and structure their colonies - and how we can keep the expanding population safe.
Armed with microphones, researchers from UC Santa Cruz's Institute of Marine Sciences have spent hundreds of hours on the brush-filled, windy dunes and beaches of Año Nuevo State Park, tracking more than 160 elephant seals and collecting some of their grumbly grunts and growls.
"These are fascinating animals, and they use sounds for really important parts of their lives," said Brandon Southall, a marine scientist and UC Santa Cruz research associate who studies elephant seal communication.
Like showing who's boss, Scientists think males use vocal calls to prevent fighting - much like smack-talk betweeen two guys in a bar - since seals vocalize before coming to blows. Often, challenges are settled by the calls alone.
"It's striking how rare physical fights are," said Colleen Reichmuth, research director at UCSC's Pinniped Cognition and Sensory Systems Laboratory.
But when two males the size of a Ford Explorer Fight, it's bloody and violent.
Info Cloud
the northern elephant seals 北方象鼻海豹
象鼻海豹其名elephant seals因為：
1. 象鼻海豹體型和大象差不多,
本文作者用Ford Explorer福特探險家這部車來形容它的大型體積
2.象鼻海豹鼻子和大象鼻子trunk很像
3. 兩者動物都擅長游泳
4. 兩者都有鬍鬚whiskers
Grammar Gym
striking => very noticeable
* It's striking how rear physical fights are.
* The tourist found it striking that all the public bathrooms were so clean.
* She is very striking.
* His striking good looks and charm made him very popular.
Language Lab
vocalization n.發聲、發聲法
vocal adj.聲音的
vocalize v.發聲、說出
* Whales use vocalizations to locate their schools.
鯨魚用發聲的方式尋找他們的魚群
* He couldn't vocalize his feelings because he was too shy.
他無法說出他的感受，因為他太害羞了。
grumbly adj.低吼的
grumble v.抱怨、發牢騷
* The bear's grumbly growl scared the intruder.
這隻熊低沉的怒吼聲，嚇到了入侵者。
* Vivian grumbled that she always has to help people with their workloads.
Vivian抱怨她老是要分擔別人的工作量
smack-talk 威脅性的言語、叫囂smack 一下的打, 甩
* Crazy fans exchanged smack-talk after the game.
比賽後，瘋狂的粉絲互相叫囂挑釁。
* Theo's smack-talk on Facebook caused him a lot of troubles.
Theo在臉書上威脅性的發言，給他帶來不少麻煩。
cognition 不可數n.認知
* The development of children's cognition can be enhanced by good stimulation.
孩童認知發展可以透過好的刺激來增進
* Philip's brain injury affected his cognition and memory.
Philip的腦傷影響了他的認知和記憶
Link:
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130218_bbf98.wmv
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