These spiders can hear

Ogre-faced spiders, named for their massive eyes, hide during the day and hunt by night, dangling from Florida palm fronds and casting silk nets on insects on the ground and in the air. In addition to their incredible night ...

Researchers design sensitive new microphone modeled on fly ear

Using the sensitive ears of a parasitic fly for inspiration, a group of researchers has created a new type of microphone that achieves better acoustical performance than what is currently available in hearing aids. The scientists ...

Ancient whale skulls and directional hearing: A twisted tale

Skewed skulls may have helped early whales discriminate the direction of sounds in water and are not solely, as previously thought, a later adaptation related to echolocation. University of Michigan researchers report the ...

Insect hearing inspires new approach to small antennas

(PhysOrg.com) -- Ormia ochracea is a small parasitic fly best known for its strong sense of directional hearing. A female fly tracks a male cricket by its chirps and then deposits her eggs on the unfortunate host. The larvae ...