Seal Whiskers

    

 It has been known that harbor seals can use their whiskers to detect movement, and that this skill helps them capture their prey. However, German researchers have conducted lab tests that have proven it possible for a seal to distinguish items by shape and size, using only their whiskers.

     During the lab test, a harbor seal's head was placed into a box that is used for experiments, which was placed inside a tank. The seal's essential senses, such as sight and hearing, were made unable to use, so the whiskers' skills could be more easily observed. Paddles were used in this experimentation. As each paddle of different shape and size was placed into the tank, the seal was able to use its whiskers to distinguish it by the disruptions that the paddles made in the water.
     This experiment gave researchers and scientists an idea of how a seal can use body parts other than eyes, ears, nose, etc. to their own benefit. This discovery is impactful in many ways, including the possibility of experiments on other animals to find how they use their uncommon body parts to their advantage. This was a discovery that makes people look at seals in a whole new way. Before I read this article, I didn't even know that seals use their whiskers in a beneficial way at all!


For more information, visit the following link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/17/science/17obseals.html?ref=research