Natures wonders: bat's gps-like navigation (Introduction)

by David Turell , Monday, November 04, 2024, 19:49 (17 days ago) @ David Turell

Brief appearance to reproduce this study:

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adn6269?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=emai...

"Echolocating bats use maps of sound to find their way home in the dark
a bat over water.

"People rely more and more on navigational aids like GPS. How many of us could find our way home from a random spot three kilometers away with only eyes and ears to guide us? Turns out bats manage just fine when placed in a similar predicament—and they can do it in total darkness.

"Bats have long been known for their ability to dodge obstacles and hunt down insects by producing high-frequency sounds and listening to the echoes that bounce off objects in their environment. This technique, known as echolocation, uses local, directed beams of sound—the acoustic equivalent of turning a flashlight on in a dark room.

"In a new study, researchers placed GPS trackers on tiny pipistrelle bats living in Israel’s Hula Valley and relocated them to various points within a three-kilometer radius. Some of the animals were also blindfolded or had their sense of smell blocked. Surprisingly, even when forced to rely on echolocation alone, 95% of bats were able to find their way back to their roosts within minutes. The findings suggest that this ability allows bats to create complex mental “maps” of their surroundings, complete with various types of acoustic “landmarks,” which the researchers were also surprised to discover that, when possible, the bats used their vision to enhance navigation.

“'That was not what we expected,” lead study author Aya Goldshtein says in a statement. “It was incredible to see that, even with such small eyes, they can rely on vision under these conditions.”hey use to navigate across long distances."

Comment: these amazing flying mammals defy any boundaries.