Natures wonders: Bat spacial orientation (Introduction)

by David Turell , Friday, December 05, 2014, 15:36 (3639 days ago) @ David Turell

Using a neural 3-d compass and wing clicks for echolocation. A complex system covered by a complex article:-http://www.the-scientist.com//?articles.view/articleNo/41580/title/Bat-Navigation-Revealed/-Sounds irreducibly complex to me.-"Finkelstein and his colleagues determined that the bats they studied had neurons in the hippocampal-parahippocampal region of the brain that work together to form a representation of 3-D space that the animal then uses to sense where and how its body is positioned within that space. Implanting miniature electrodes thinner than human hairs into the brains of bats who were allowed to crawl or fly through experimental arenas, the researchers recorded nervous impulses from new components—pitch cells, roll cells, and cells that respond to combinations of orientation information—used to build this mental compass. And the picture of that compass that emerged looked more toroidal—or doughnut-shaped—than spherical. Combining inputs from all the different types of cells, bats maintain a toroidal representation of 3-D space, allowing them to more accurately track their position as they flip, spin, and bank through their habitats. This more intricate 3-D compass may set bats apart from rodents, which tend to become more disoriented when flipped upside down, for example. “[Bats] are more similar to primates than to rodents,” Finkelstein said."-In humans this aids the basketball center as he spins and jumps to make a shot.-"The findings indicate that echolocation, long considered to be a highly complex physiological trait, may have some more rudimentary precursors. While a solid model for the evolution of the sophisticated laryngeal echolocation employed by microbats remains elusive, this research adds a new piece to the puzzle by indicating that simpler echolocation may play a role in that evolution. In addition, the three species observed by Yovel and Boonman are a good evolutionary representation of the 59 or so species that make up the family of Old World fruit bats, indicating that the tactic is likely used widely throughout the family. Brock Fenton, a bat biologist at Western University in Ontario who wasn't involved with the research, said that the findings may add echolocation to the list of widespread adaptations that were evolved many times in several different groups. “Echolocation, now we know, is sort of like venom,” said Brock Fenton, a bat biologist at Western University in Ontario. “It crops up all over the place.”"-More convergence?