Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

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...
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.
Hearing01:31

Hearing

When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.
Auditory Pathway01:15

Auditory Pathway

Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
Hair Cells01:22

Hair Cells

Hair cells are the sensory receptors of the auditory system—they transduce mechanical sound waves into electrical energy that the nervous system can understand. Hair cells are located in the organ of Corti within the cochlea of the inner ear, between the basilar and tectorial membranes. The actual sensory receptors are called inner hair cells. The outer hair cells serve other functions, such as sound amplification in the cochlea, and are not discussed in detail here.
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.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Comparative Genomics Reveals Convergent Evolution Between Avivorous Bats (Ia io and Nyctalus aviator).

Integrative zoology·2026
Same author

Microbe-Metabolite Interactions in Cave Soils Synergistically Regulate the Environmental Persistence of Pseudogymnoascus destructans.

Environmental microbiology·2026
Same author

Role of anti-<i>Pseudogymnoascus destructans</i> bacteria in cave ecosystems during bat hibernation in northeast China.

Applied and environmental microbiology·2026
Same author

Gene expression and immune cell heterogeneity in inbred Amur tiger.

BMC genomics·2026
Same author

Geographic and genetic factors shape acoustic divergence and dialect-like variation in communication calls in the greater horseshoe bats.

Zoological research·2026
Same author

Microstructure and Arc Erosion Performance of CuCr50Ni<sub>X</sub> Coatings by Infrared-Blue Hybrid Laser Cladding.

Materials (Basel, Switzerland)·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 11, 2026

A Lightweight, Headphones-based System for Manipulating Auditory Feedback in Songbirds
10:13

A Lightweight, Headphones-based System for Manipulating Auditory Feedback in Songbirds

Published on: November 26, 2012

Different auditory feedback control for echolocation and communication in horseshoe bats.

Ying Liu1, Jiang Feng, Walter Metzner

  • 1Jilin Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China.

Plos One
|May 3, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Bats use auditory feedback for echolocation and communication. Greater horseshoe bats adjust echolocation frequencies daily but keep communication frequencies constant, suggesting different feedback mechanisms for each behavior.

More Related Videos

Investigating Outer Hair Cell Motility with a Combination of External Alternating Electrical Field Stimulation and High-speed Image Analysis
09:35

Investigating Outer Hair Cell Motility with a Combination of External Alternating Electrical Field Stimulation and High-speed Image Analysis

Published on: July 18, 2011

Evaluation of Auditory Brainstem Response in Chicken Hatchlings
09:32

Evaluation of Auditory Brainstem Response in Chicken Hatchlings

Published on: April 1, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 11, 2026

A Lightweight, Headphones-based System for Manipulating Auditory Feedback in Songbirds
10:13

A Lightweight, Headphones-based System for Manipulating Auditory Feedback in Songbirds

Published on: November 26, 2012

Investigating Outer Hair Cell Motility with a Combination of External Alternating Electrical Field Stimulation and High-speed Image Analysis
09:35

Investigating Outer Hair Cell Motility with a Combination of External Alternating Electrical Field Stimulation and High-speed Image Analysis

Published on: July 18, 2011

Evaluation of Auditory Brainstem Response in Chicken Hatchlings
09:32

Evaluation of Auditory Brainstem Response in Chicken Hatchlings

Published on: April 1, 2022

Area of Science:

  • Animal Behavior
  • Bioacoustics
  • Neuroethology

Background:

  • Auditory feedback is crucial for bat echolocation and communication.
  • How auditory feedback control differs between echolocation and communication remains unclear.
  • Greater horseshoe bats use constant frequency echolocation calls and have a specialized auditory fovea.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate differences in auditory feedback control between echolocation and communication in greater horseshoe bats.
  • To analyze variability in echolocation and communication call frequencies.
  • To understand the role of auditory feedback in sensory-motor control for different vocal behaviors.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of echolocation pulses emitted at rest (resting frequencies, RFs).
  • Analysis of short constant frequency communication calls (SCFs) during social interactions.
  • Comparison of frequency variability between RFs and SCFs.

Main Results:

  • Resting frequencies (RFs) varied daily, consistent with Doppler-shift compensation (DSC).
  • Short constant frequency communication calls (SCFs) showed stable frequencies, independent of daily RF shifts.
  • RFs overlapped between bats, while SCFs were distinctly different, suggesting individual recognition signals.

Conclusions:

  • Echolocation in greater horseshoe bats involves dynamic auditory feedback adjusting to environmental changes (e.g., Doppler shifts).
  • Communication calls (SCFs) appear to use a different, possibly less dynamic or absent, auditory feedback mechanism.
  • Divergent auditory feedback strategies may facilitate distinct functions: echolocation for navigation and SCFs for social recognition.