Finite element modelling of hearing capabilities in the Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor)

Despite increasing concern about the effects of anthropogenic noise on marine fauna, relevant research is limited, particularly in those inaccessible species, such as the Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor). In this study, we collected freshly deceased Little Penguins for dissection and microCT scans. The head structures, including the ear apparatus, were reconstructed based on high-resolution imaging data for the species. Moreover, 3D finite-element models were built based on microCT data to simulate the sound reception processes and ear responses to the incident planar waves at the selected frequencies. The received sound pressure fields and motion (i.e., displacement and velocity) of the internal ear-related structures were modelled. The synergistic response of ear components to incident aerial and underwater sounds was computed to predict the hearing capabilities of the Little Penguins across a broad frequency range (100 Hz–10 kHz), both in air and under water. Our predicted data showe..., The 3D geometry files were reconstructed based on microCT scans, which were used to build the hearing model. The data was collected by performing microCT scan-based finite-element modeling using COMSOL Multiphysics software.
After the simulation, the data was exported and analyzed using OriginLab software., , # The data exported from FE models for predicting audiograms

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.wpzgmsbwz](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.wpzgmsbwz)

In this research, we used microCT-based finite element modelling to simulate the sound reception process of a little penguin in air and underwater. The data was exported from the 3D finite element sound reception modelling performed via COMSOL Multiphysics.

## Description of the data and file structure

The data includes a zip file containing 3D geometry files and four Excel data sheets.

The 3D geometry files are in .stl formats, which can be opened in COMSOL Multiphysics software or the MeshLab software (free software). The data sheets can be viewed using Microsoft Excel.

The data sheets (“Transfer function-In-Air.xlsx” and “Transfer function-Underwater.xlsx”) show how the in-air and underwater transfer functions were calculated and how we used these transfer functions to predict the audiograms.

In the “Transfer function-In-Air.xlsx” data...