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These animals can smell blood a quarter of a mile away. Now a new study shows how they do it.
The farther apart the shark's nostrils, the better their ability to hear prey. “An animal with a wide head, like a hammerhead shark, has more time to process a signal than fish with a pointy nose,” says lead author of the new study Jayne Gardiner (Jayne) Gardiner).
The effect is like in a cartoon: pages with drawings are often scrolled through – there is an illusion of continuous movement; slower, you can see individual images.
Scientists came to this conclusion after observing animals: sharks listened very carefully to the smells of their favorite prey – squid. Researchers have noticed that smells literally control sharks. A short delay and the animals are already hesitating.
Every underwater creature has its own unique aroma. When a shark swims, smells pass through its nostrils. Sometimes sharks smell just by moving their jaws (which is also the case with some other fish species).
“Due to the fact that both nostrils are involved in the process, the signals go to the two olfactory sensors with some differences. In this very short time, the animal determines the direction of the signals, “explains Gardiner.
Previously, scientists believed that the odors of sharks and other animals are well audible due to differences in the concentration of aroma molecules in each of the nostrils. Although this feature does not discount, researchers believe that the stereo audibility effect serves as a guide in the direction.
According to scientists, these findings may one day lead to the creation of robots with an odor navigation system.