-
Frontiers in Neural Circuits 2022Echolocation behavior, a navigation strategy based on acoustic signals, allows scientists to explore neural processing of behaviorally relevant stimuli. For the purpose... (Review)
Review
Echolocation behavior, a navigation strategy based on acoustic signals, allows scientists to explore neural processing of behaviorally relevant stimuli. For the purpose of orientation, bats broadcast echolocation calls and extract spatial information from the echoes. Because bats control call emission and thus the availability of spatial information, the behavioral relevance of these signals is undiscussable. While most neurophysiological studies, conducted in the past, used synthesized acoustic stimuli that mimic portions of the echolocation signals, recent progress has been made to understand how naturalistic echolocation signals are encoded in the bat brain. Here, we review how does stimulus history affect neural processing, how spatial information from multiple objects and how echolocation signals embedded in a naturalistic, noisy environment are processed in the bat brain. We end our review by discussing the huge potential that state-of-the-art recording techniques provide to gain a more complete picture on the neuroethology of echolocation behavior.
Topics: Acoustic Stimulation; Acoustics; Animals; Brain; Chiroptera; Echolocation
PubMed: 35664459
DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.899370 -
Scientific Reports Nov 2021Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) and narwhals (Monodon monoceros) are highly social Arctic toothed whales with large vocal repertoires and similar acoustic profiles.... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) and narwhals (Monodon monoceros) are highly social Arctic toothed whales with large vocal repertoires and similar acoustic profiles. Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) that uses multiple hydrophones over large spatiotemporal scales has been a primary method to study their populations, particularly in response to rapid climate change and increasing underwater noise. This study marks the first acoustic comparison between wild belugas and narwhals from the same location and reveals that they can be acoustically differentiated and classified solely by echolocation clicks. Acoustic recordings were made in the pack ice of Baffin Bay, West Greenland, during 2013. Multivariate analyses and Random Forests classification models were applied to eighty-one single-species acoustic events comprised of numerous echolocation clicks. Results demonstrate a significant difference between species' acoustic parameters where beluga echolocation was distinguished by higher frequency content, evidenced by higher peak frequencies, center frequencies, and frequency minimums and maximums. Spectral peaks, troughs, and center frequencies for beluga clicks were generally > 60 kHz and narwhal clicks < 60 kHz with overlap between 40-60 kHz. Classification model predictive performance was strong with an overall correct classification rate of 97.5% for the best model. The most important predictors for species assignment were defined by peaks and notches in frequency spectra. Our results provide strong support for the use of echolocation in PAM efforts to differentiate belugas and narwhals acoustically.
Topics: Acoustics; Animals; Beluga Whale; Echolocation; Greenland; Species Specificity; Vocalization, Animal; Whales
PubMed: 34772963
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01441-w -
Current Biology : CB Nov 2017A Quick guide to oilbirds: nocturnal birds found only in Neotropical rainforests that, rather like many bat species, live in caves where they use echolocation for...
A Quick guide to oilbirds: nocturnal birds found only in Neotropical rainforests that, rather like many bat species, live in caves where they use echolocation for orientation.
Topics: Animals; Birds; Echolocation; Feeding Behavior; Flight, Animal; Vision, Ocular
PubMed: 29112862
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.08.071 -
ELife Nov 2021How fast the brain and muscles can respond to information about prey location constrains visual and echolocating predators in similar ways.
How fast the brain and muscles can respond to information about prey location constrains visual and echolocating predators in similar ways.
Topics: Acoustics; Animals; Brain; Echolocation; Whales
PubMed: 34739372
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.74096 -
Current Biology : CB Oct 2021Interview with Cynthia Moss, who studies echolocating bats to understand the coordination of sensory and motor activity in 3D space at Johns Hopkins University.
Interview with Cynthia Moss, who studies echolocating bats to understand the coordination of sensory and motor activity in 3D space at Johns Hopkins University.
Topics: Animals; Chiroptera; Echolocation; Humans
PubMed: 34699793
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.09.033 -
Current Biology : CB May 2015
Topics: Animals; Body Weight; Chiroptera; Echolocation; Flight, Animal; Wings, Animal
PubMed: 25989074
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.04.002 -
Proceedings of the National Academy of... Jul 2022Fine audiovocal control is a hallmark of human speech production and depends on precisely coordinated muscle activity guided by sensory feedback. Little is known about...
Fine audiovocal control is a hallmark of human speech production and depends on precisely coordinated muscle activity guided by sensory feedback. Little is known about shared audiovocal mechanisms between humans and other mammals. We hypothesized that real-time audiovocal control in bat echolocation uses the same computational principles as human speech. To test the prediction of this hypothesis, we applied state feedback control (SFC) theory to the analysis of call frequency adjustments in the echolocating bat, . This model organism exhibits well-developed audiovocal control to sense its surroundings via echolocation. Our experimental paradigm was analogous to one implemented in human subjects. We measured the bats' vocal responses to spectrally altered echolocation calls. Individual bats exhibited highly distinct patterns of vocal compensation to these altered calls. Our findings mirror typical observations of speech control in humans listening to spectrally altered speech. Using mathematical modeling, we determined that the same computational principles of SFC apply to bat echolocation and human speech, confirming the prediction of our hypothesis.
Topics: Animals; Auditory Perception; Chiroptera; Echolocation; Feedback, Sensory; Female; Humans; Models, Biological; Speech; Vocalization, Animal
PubMed: 35759672
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2201275119 -
Science Advances Jun 2019How animals integrate information from various senses to navigate and generate perceptions is a fundamental question. Bats are ideal animal models to study multisensory...
How animals integrate information from various senses to navigate and generate perceptions is a fundamental question. Bats are ideal animal models to study multisensory integration due to their reliance on vision and echolocation, two modalities that allow distal sensing with high spatial resolution. Using three behavioral paradigms, we studied different aspects of multisensory integration in Egyptian fruit bats. We show that bats learn the three-dimensional shape of an object using vision only, even when using both vision and echolocation. Nevertheless, we demonstrate that they can classify objects using echolocation and even translate echoic information into a visual representation. Last, we show that in navigation, bats dynamically switch between the modalities: Vision was given more weight when deciding where to fly, while echolocation was more dominant when approaching an obstacle. We conclude that sensory integration is task dependent and that bimodal information is weighed in a more complex manner than previously suggested.
Topics: Animals; Chiroptera; Echolocation; Female; Flight, Animal; Male; Vision, Ocular
PubMed: 31249874
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw6503 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) May 2020Target tracking and interception in a dynamic world proves to be a fundamental challenge faced by both animals and artificial systems. To track moving objects under... (Review)
Review
Target tracking and interception in a dynamic world proves to be a fundamental challenge faced by both animals and artificial systems. To track moving objects under natural conditions, agents must employ strategies to mitigate interference and conditions of uncertainty. Animal studies of prey tracking and capture reveal biological solutions, which can inspire new technologies, particularly for operations in complex and noisy environments. By reviewing research on target tracking and interception by echolocating bats, we aim to highlight biological solutions that could inform new approaches to artificial sonar tracking and navigation systems. Most bat species use wideband echolocation signals to navigate dense forests and hunt for evasive insects in the dark. Importantly, bats exhibit rapid adaptations in flight trajectory, sonar beam aim, and echolocation signal design, which appear to be key to the success of these animals in a variety of tasks. The rich suite of adaptive behaviors of echolocating bats could be leveraged in new sonar tracking technologies by implementing dynamic sensorimotor feedback control of wideband sonar signal design, head, and ear movements.
Topics: Animals; Biomimetics; Chiroptera; Echolocation; Flight, Animal; Predatory Behavior; Sound; Technology
PubMed: 32456142
DOI: 10.3390/s20102958 -
Current Biology : CB Jul 2005
Comparative Study Review
Topics: Animals; Auditory Perception; Biological Evolution; Chiroptera; Dolphins; Echolocation; Orientation; Ultrasonics
PubMed: 16005275
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2005.06.051