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

Convergent Evolution01:54

Convergent Evolution

34.2K
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.
34.2K
Pollination and Flower Structure02:40

Pollination and Flower Structure

80.0K
Flowers are the reproductive, seed-producing structures of angiosperms. Typically, flowers consist of sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. Sepals and petals are the vegetative flower organs. Stamens and carpels are the reproductive organs.  
80.0K
Migration00:53

Migration

9.0K
Migration is long-range, seasonal movement from one region or habitat to another. This common strategy, carried out by many different organisms around the world, is an adaptive response that typically corresponds to changes in an organism’s environment, like resource availability or climate. Migrations can involve huge groups of thousands of animals as well as single individuals traveling alone and can range from thousands of kilometers to just a few hundred meters.
9.0K
Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores02:40

Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores

17.0K
Plants often form mutualistic relationships with soil-dwelling fungi or bacteria to enhance their roots’ nutrient uptake ability. Root-colonizing fungi (e.g., mycorrhizae) increase a plant’s root surface area, which promotes nutrient absorption. While root-colonizing, nitrogen-fixing bacteria (e.g., rhizobia) convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonia (NH3), making nitrogen available to plants for various biological functions. For example, nitrogen is essential for the...
17.0K
Osmoregulation in Insects01:47

Osmoregulation in Insects

17.8K
Malpighian tubules are specialized structures found in the digestive systems of many arthropods, including most insects, that handle excretion and osmoregulation. The tubules are typically arranged in pairs and have a convoluted structure that increases their surface area.
17.8K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Modeling the Functional Capabilities of the Bat Wing Hair Sensor Network: Effective Sensor Distributions from Optimal Sensing.

Integrative and comparative biology·2026
Same author

An Improved Aerodynamic Model for Quasi-Steady Simulations of Animal Flight at Moderate Reynolds Numbers.

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·2025
Same author

Extreme regional heterothermy during flight in diverse wild bats.

iScience·2025
Same author

Musculoskeletal architecture of the shoulder: A comparative anatomy study in bats and mice informing human rotator cuff function.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Anatomical distribution and flight control function of wing sensory hairs in Seba's short-tailed bat.

Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)·2025
Same author

Distinct morphological drivers of jumping and maneuvering performance in gerbils.

The Journal of experimental biology·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 16, 2026

A Simple Flight Mill for the Study of Tethered Flight in Insects
07:42

A Simple Flight Mill for the Study of Tethered Flight in Insects

Published on: December 10, 2015

18.0K

Wake structure and kinematics in two insectivorous bats.

Tatjana Y Hubel1, Nickolay I Hristov2, Sharon M Swartz3

  • 1School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA Structure and Motion Laboratory, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield AL97TA, UK thubel@rvc.ac.uk.

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
|August 17, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Bat flight efficiency differs at lower speeds due to distinct wing and body morphology. Myotis velifer exhibits a weaker body vortex, suggesting enhanced aerial maneuverability and energy conservation during insect pursuit.

Keywords:
bat flightflapping flightwake structure

More Related Videos

Low-Cost Automated Flight Intercept Trap for the Temporal Sub-Sampling of Flying Insects Attracted to Artificial Light at Night
06:19

Low-Cost Automated Flight Intercept Trap for the Temporal Sub-Sampling of Flying Insects Attracted to Artificial Light at Night

Published on: December 29, 2021

3.2K
Building an Enhanced Flight Mill for the Study of Tethered Insect Flight
12:09

Building an Enhanced Flight Mill for the Study of Tethered Insect Flight

Published on: March 10, 2021

3.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 16, 2026

A Simple Flight Mill for the Study of Tethered Flight in Insects
07:42

A Simple Flight Mill for the Study of Tethered Flight in Insects

Published on: December 10, 2015

18.0K
Low-Cost Automated Flight Intercept Trap for the Temporal Sub-Sampling of Flying Insects Attracted to Artificial Light at Night
06:19

Low-Cost Automated Flight Intercept Trap for the Temporal Sub-Sampling of Flying Insects Attracted to Artificial Light at Night

Published on: December 29, 2021

3.2K
Building an Enhanced Flight Mill for the Study of Tethered Insect Flight
12:09

Building an Enhanced Flight Mill for the Study of Tethered Insect Flight

Published on: March 10, 2021

3.6K

Area of Science:

  • Aerodynamics
  • Bio-mechanics
  • Zoology

Background:

  • Bats exhibit diverse flight strategies for aerial insectivory.
  • Morphological variations, such as wing shape and loading, can influence flight dynamics.
  • Understanding flight mechanics is crucial for comprehending bat ecology and evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the flight kinematics and wake structure of two bat species, Tadarida brasiliensis and Myotis velifer, across a range of flight speeds.
  • To investigate the influence of morphological differences (wing loading, wing breadth) on aerodynamic performance.
  • To determine how variations in flight mechanics and wake characteristics relate to potential differences in flight efficiency.

Main Methods:

  • High-speed videography was employed to capture bat flight kinematics in a wind tunnel.
  • Particle image velocimetry (PIV) was used to analyze the aerodynamic wake structure.
  • Comparative analysis of flight parameters (angle of attack, body-wingtip distance, sweep angle) and wake vortices was conducted.

Main Results:

  • At higher flight speeds, kinematics and wake structure were similar between Tadarida brasiliensis and Myotis velifer.
  • At lower speeds, significant differences emerged in angle of attack, body-wingtip distance, and sweep angle.
  • Myotis velifer displayed a considerably weaker or absent body vortex compared to Tadarida brasiliensis, particularly at lower speeds.

Conclusions:

  • Morphological differences, specifically lower wing loading and narrower thorax in Myotis velifer, likely contribute to reduced body vortex strength.
  • The diminished body vortex in Myotis velifer suggests less disruption in lift generation and potentially increased flight efficiency.
  • These findings highlight the adaptive significance of morphological traits in optimizing bat flight performance for aerial insectivory.