Elephants Communicate via Seismic Vibrations

Researchers at Harvard University discovered how elephants communicate over long distances using seismic vibrations detected through their inner ears. Elephants generate low-frequency sounds and vibrations by stomping, sending signals up to ten kilometers.

The study, published in Frontiers in Audiology and Otology, reveals elephants channel these vibrations through foot bones to the skull and inner ear. The team compared temporal bones from elephants and humans, finding the elephant middle ear is optimized for low frequencies, around 400 Hz, and vibrates more efficiently at those ranges.

Elephants possess a unique muscle allowing them to close their ear canals, enhancing bone conduction hearing by an estimated 30 times at infrasonic frequencies (10 to 20 Hz). Researchers acknowledge the study was limited by sample size and potential fluid loss from the cochlea during sample preparation. Further investigation into elephant auditory sensitivity across all frequencies is needed to fully understand these communication methods.