Adaptive sonar call timing supports target tracking in echolocating bats.

Area of Science:

• Bioacoustics
• Animal Behavior
• Neuroethology

Background:

• Echolocating bats dynamically adjust sonar calls for navigation and hunting.
• Sonar sound groups (SSGs) are hypothesized to enhance spatiotemporal sonar resolution during prey pursuit.
• Hunting unpredictable prey increases the cognitive load on a bat's sonar system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the adaptive vocal behavior of bats in response to varying target motion predictability.
• To determine the role of sonar sound groups (SSGs) in insect tracking under controlled conditions.
• To examine the relationship between target unpredictability and the production of SSGs.

Main Methods:

• Bats were trained to track a moving artificial prey item on a platform.
• Target trajectories were programmed to vary in predictability (approaching vs. back-and-forth motion).
• Bat sonar vocalizations, including SSGs, were recorded and analyzed across different conditions.

Main Results:

• Bats significantly increased SSG production when tracking unpredictable prey trajectories.
• Bats decreased SSG production when tracking predictable prey trajectories.
• The total number of sonar vocalizations remained constant, irrespective of target predictability.

Conclusions:

• The temporal clustering of sonar calls into SSGs is a purposeful sensorimotor planning strategy.
• Bats adapt their vocal behavior by modulating SSG production based on prey motion predictability.
• This adaptive vocalization strategy likely enhances sonar imaging and prey tracking performance.