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

Olfaction01:25

Olfaction

50.1K
The sense of smell is achieved through the activities of the olfactory system. It starts when an airborne odorant enters the nasal cavity and reaches olfactory epithelium (OE). The OE is protected by a thin layer of mucus, which also serves the purpose of dissolving more complex compounds into simpler chemical odorants. The size of the OE and the density of sensory neurons varies among species; in humans, the OE is only about 9-10 cm2.
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
50.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

A tale of two ears: development of binaural auditory processing in the big brown bat.

Journal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology·2026
Same author

Short-duration flights are three times more costly than extended flight activity in an insectivorous bat.

The Journal of experimental biology·2026
Same author

Semi-automated identification of individual big brown bats via collagen-elastin patterns in the wing membrane.

Journal of mammalogy·2025
Same author

Early innate immune response and evolution of a SARS-CoV-2 furin cleavage site inactive variant in bat cells.

Cell reports·2025
Same author

Systemic Effects of Pesticides on Insectivorous Bats: A Proteomics Approach.

Integrative and comparative biology·2025
Same author

A novel copy number variant in the murine Cdh23 gene gives rise to profound deafness and vestibular dysfunction.

Human molecular genetics·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 19, 2026

Author Spotlight: Investigating Vocal Information Representation in Small Primates and Its Alteration by Psychiatric Disorders Using Noninvasive EEG
07:52

Author Spotlight: Investigating Vocal Information Representation in Small Primates and Its Alteration by Psychiatric Disorders Using Noninvasive EEG

Published on: July 26, 2024

1.5K

Morphological, olfactory, and vocal development in big brown bats.

Heather W Mayberry1, Paul A Faure2

  • 1Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behavior, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada.

Biology Open
|December 16, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Big brown bat pups develop rapidly, shifting from tonal isolation calls to frequency-modulated sweeps for echolocation. Distress vocalizations mimic younger bats to elicit maternal care.

Keywords:
ChiropteraEptesicus fuscusFrequency modulated (FM)HarmonicsOlfactory discriminationVespertilionidae

More Related Videos

Functional Evaluation of Olfactory Pathways in Living Xenopus Tadpoles
07:33

Functional Evaluation of Olfactory Pathways in Living Xenopus Tadpoles

Published on: December 11, 2018

7.4K
Recording Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalizations to Evaluate Social Communication
10:28

Recording Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalizations to Evaluate Social Communication

Published on: June 5, 2016

23.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 19, 2026

Author Spotlight: Investigating Vocal Information Representation in Small Primates and Its Alteration by Psychiatric Disorders Using Noninvasive EEG
07:52

Author Spotlight: Investigating Vocal Information Representation in Small Primates and Its Alteration by Psychiatric Disorders Using Noninvasive EEG

Published on: July 26, 2024

1.5K
Functional Evaluation of Olfactory Pathways in Living Xenopus Tadpoles
07:33

Functional Evaluation of Olfactory Pathways in Living Xenopus Tadpoles

Published on: December 11, 2018

7.4K
Recording Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalizations to Evaluate Social Communication
10:28

Recording Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalizations to Evaluate Social Communication

Published on: June 5, 2016

23.8K

Area of Science:

  • Animal Behavior
  • Bioacoustics
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) undergo significant morphological and behavioral development post-birth.
  • Mother-offspring recognition relies on multiple cues, but pup sensory abilities are not fully understood.
  • Vocal development in bats transitions from isolation calls to echolocation signals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Document developmental changes in big brown bat pups.
  • Investigate pup olfactory discrimination abilities.
  • Analyze the shift in pup vocalizations from isolation calls to echolocation and their function in communication.

Main Methods:

  • Within-subjects design tracking morphological, bioacoustical, and behavioral changes.
  • Olfactory discrimination tests on young pups.
  • Vocalization analysis during development, maternal separation, and human interaction.

Main Results:

  • Pups develop adult-like appearance by post-natal day 45 and flight by post-natal day 30.
  • Young pups showed no significant odor preferences.
  • Vocalizations shifted from long, tonal isolation calls (PND 0-9) to short, downward frequency-modulated sweeps.
  • Signal duration, bandwidth, and harmonics decreased, while frequency and bandwidth increased.
  • Isolated pups vocalized more frequently and longer; provoked calls resembled younger bats' calls.

Conclusions:

  • Big brown bat pups exhibit rapid vocal development crucial for survival and communication.
  • Vocal changes reflect developmental stages and serve functions in signaling distress and facilitating reunions.
  • Distress vocalizations may mimic those of younger pups to solicit maternal assistance.