Introduction to Biology

High School Physics

The mammal known for having no vocal cords is the giraffe. Giraffes have long been thought to be silent creatures, but recent studies have shown that they do communicate, just not in ways that are always audible to humans. Giraffes are believed to communicate in several ways: 1. **Infrasound**: Giraffes are thought to use infrasound, which is sound at frequencies below the range of human hearing (below 20 Hz). These low-frequency sounds can travel long distances and may be used by giraffes to communicate over several kilometers. 2. **Body Language**: Like many animals, giraffes use body language as a form of communication. Their necks, for example, can be used to signal dominance or to court potential mates. 3. **Visual Signals**: Giraffes have excellent vision and can use visual signals to communicate with one another. This can include movements of the head, ears, tail, and overall posture. 4. **Tactile Communication**: Giraffes are also known to engage in physical contact with one another, such as necking (gentle or aggressive rubbing and intertwining of necks), which can serve as a form of social interaction and communication. 5. **Audible Sounds**: Despite the absence of vocal cords, giraffes can produce some sounds. They can grunt, snort, hiss, and make other sounds by manipulating the air in their throats and sinuses. In summary, while giraffes do not have vocal cords to produce a wide range of sounds like many other mammals, they have adapted other methods of communication that are effective for their needs. These methods include infrasound, body language, visual signals, tactile communication, and some audible sounds.

Question

In the context of sound production, which mammal is known to have no vocal cords, and how does it co...

Solution

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