An unusual sensory area in the cerebral neocortex of the bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus

Multiple-unit responses were elicited from a restricted cortical area located on the broad frontal pole of the right hemisphere of the brain of Tursiops truncates by (i) airborne auditory stimuli; (ii) underwater auditory stimuli; (iii) cutaneous mechanical stimuli and (iv) Other mechanical stimuli such as tapping the teeth, skull, or the wooden headrest. Discussed are the possibilities that the area maped is (a) auditory; (b) activated by acutely sensitive cutaneous mechanoreceptors or (c) activated by either somatosenasory or auditory inputs. However, since cetacean neural functions are exceptionally specialized and few data are available, no final conclusions are drawn regarding the nature of this neocortical sensory area.