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Related Concept Videos

Echo01:06

Echo

The human ear cannot distinguish between two sources of sound if they happen to reach within a specific time interval, typically 0.1 seconds apart. More than this, and they are perceived as separate sources.
Imagine the sound is reflected back to the ears. Assuming that the source is very close to the human, the difference between hearing the two sounds—the emitted sound and the reflected sound—may be more than the minimum time for perceiving distinct sounds. If this is the case, then the...
Convergent Evolution01:54

Convergent Evolution

Evolution shapes the features of organisms over time, ensuring that they are suited for the environments in which they live. Sometimes, selection pressure leads to the rise of similar but unrelated adaptations in organisms with no recent common ancestors, a process known as convergent evolution.
The Cochlea01:13

The Cochlea

The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.
Optimal Foraging00:48

Optimal Foraging

How animals obtain and eat their food is called foraging behavior. Foraging can include searching for plants and hunting for prey and depends on the species and environment.
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Sound Waves: Interference

Sound waves can be modeled either as longitudinal waves, wherein the molecules of the medium oscillate around an equilibrium position, or as pressure waves. When two identical waves from the same source superimpose on each other, the combination of two crests or two troughs results in amplitude reinforcement known as constructive interference. If two identical waves, that are initially in phase, become out of phase because of different path lengths, the combination of crests with troughs...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 12, 2026

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Trawling bats exploit an echo-acoustic ground effect.

Sandor Zsebok1, Ferdinand Kroll, Melina Heinrich

  • 1Sensory Ecology Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology Seewiesen, Germany ; MTA-ELTE-MTM Ecology Research Group Budapest, Hungary.

Frontiers in Physiology
|April 12, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Bats use the water surface as an acoustic mirror, reducing clutter and enhancing prey echoes. This study quanties how surface type and height affect bat echolocation for prey detection and discrimination.

Keywords:
Myotis daubentoniiecho enhancementecho-acoustic mirrorsground effecttarget detectiontarget discriminationtrawling bats

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Area of Science:

  • Bioacoustics
  • Animal behavior
  • Sensory ecology

Background:

  • Water surfaces function as both optical and acoustic mirrors.
  • Bat echolocation calls at low altitudes over water experience reduced background clutter.
  • Surface targets generate enhanced echoes, aiding detection.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the impact of surface type and height on target detection and discrimination by bats.
  • To investigate the role of the echo-acoustic ground effect in bat foraging behavior.
  • To analyze bat echolocation call parameters and flight paths in relation to surface conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Laboratory and field experiments using Myotis daubentonii.
  • Two-alternative, forced-choice paradigm for prey detection and discrimination tasks.
  • Psychophysical measurements of performance at varying heights above smooth (water, PVC) and cluttered (artificial grass) surfaces.
  • Analysis of echolocation calls and flight-path reconstruction.

Main Results:

  • Bat detection performance was poorer over cluttered surfaces at low heights (10-35 cm) compared to smooth surfaces.
  • Surface structure had no significant effect on detection at 50 cm height.
  • Target discrimination was impaired over cluttered surfaces as height decreased.
  • Bats emitted higher peak frequency calls over cluttered surfaces and approached targets from above, unlike the below-water approach over smooth surfaces.

Conclusions:

  • Bats exploit an echo-acoustic ground effect, integrating direct and reflected echoes, to enhance prey detection and discrimination.
  • This effect is particularly beneficial for foraging over water surfaces.
  • The findings support the hypothesis that bats optimize their foraging strategies based on surface acoustics and height.