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Action Enhances Acoustic Cues for 3-D Target Localization by Echolocating Bats
Melville J Wohlgemuth1,2, Ninad B Kothari1,2, Cynthia F Moss1,2
1Department of Psychology and Institute for Systems Research, Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America.
Plos Biology
|September 9, 2016
Summary
Bats actively control their echolocation calls and ear movements to better detect and locate targets. This active sensing strategy enhances acoustic cues for spatial perception, similar to vision.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Animal Behavior
- Bioacoustics
Background:
- Animals must interpret complex sensory information for survival.
- Active sensing, using motor systems to gather sensory data, aids this interpretation.
- Echolocating bats are ideal models for studying action-sensing coupling due to their control over vocalizations and ear movements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how echolocating bats couple vocalization features and ear positioning.
- To understand how this coupling maximizes acoustic cues for detecting and localizing targets.
- To explore the temporal dynamics of this adaptive control.
Main Methods:
- Observational studies on echolocating bats.
- Analysis of sonar vocalizations and outer ear positioning.
- Behavioral experiments measuring target detection and localization.
Main Results:
- Bats adaptively control sonar vocalizations and ear positioning on millisecond and longer timescales.
- This coordinated control enhances acoustic cues for target detection and localization.
- The findings reveal parallels between echolocation and visual spatial perception.
Conclusions:
- Purposeful control of sound production and reception improves acoustic localization.
- Movement is crucial for sensory processing across species.
- Active sensing in bats offers insights into general principles of spatial perception.
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