Microvibrations in Man and Dolphin

Abstract

Microvibrations were recorded from the dorsal body surface of a bottle-nosed dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) while it swam in water and while it lay on a foam rubber mattress in an air environment. Unlike poikilothermic water-living animals which do not manifest microvibrations, this homeothermic mammal has 13-cycle per second microvibrations similar to those of man and other homeotherms. For comparative purposes, microvibrations of 11 cycles per second were recorded from the arm of a man while lying on the same mattress. The nature and origin of these microvibrations is discussed in relation to physiological tremors and shivering.