Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 6, 2026
07:55
Standard Operating Procedure for Lyssavirus Surveillance of the Bat Population in Taiwan
Published on: August 27, 2019
8.0K
Testing the sensory trade-off hypothesis in New World bats
Jinwei Wu1, Hengwu Jiao1, Nancy B Simmons2
1Department of Ecology and Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, People's Republic of China.
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|August 31, 2018
Summary
Evolutionary shifts in bat senses show that high-duty-cycle (HDC) echolocation and infrared sensing may lead to a loss of color vision. This sensory trade-off appears to have occurred independently in different bat lineages.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Sensory systems
- Molecular genetics
Background:
- Detecting evolutionary changes in sensory systems is complex.
- A prior study proposed a sensory trade-off in Old World bats: loss of color vision linked to high-duty-cycle (HDC) echolocation.
- New World bats offer a distinct lineage to test this hypothesis, including vampire bats with unique infrared senses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the sensory trade-off hypothesis in New World bats.
- To examine the short-wavelength opsin gene (SWS1) in relation to echolocation and infrared sensing.
- To determine if color vision loss is associated with HDC echolocation or infrared sensing in these bats.
Main Methods:
- Sequencing the SWS1 gene in 16 species (29 individuals) of New World bats.
- Analyzing SWS1 gene polymorphism, including pseudogenization.
- Correlating SWS1 gene status with echolocation type and sensory systems.
Main Results:
- A novel SWS1 gene polymorphism was found in an HDC echolocator bat.
- Both SWS1 alleles were pseudogenized in all three vampire bat species studied.
- Pseudogenization of SWS1 indicates a loss of dichromatic color vision.
Conclusions:
- The sensory trade-off between HDC echolocation and color vision has likely occurred independently in divergent bat lineages.
- Vampire bats may have traded color vision for infrared sensing.
- Evolutionary shifts in sensory systems can involve repeated, independent adaptations.
Related Concept Videos
01:11Types of Hypothesis Testing
27.9K
There are three types of hypothesis tests: right-tailed, left-tailed, and two-tailed.
When the null and alternative hypotheses are stated, it is observed that the null hypothesis is a neutral statement against which the alternative hypothesis is tested. The alternative hypothesis is a claim that instead has a certain direction. If the null hypothesis claims that p = 0.5, the alternative hypothesis would be an opposing statement to this and can be put either p > 0.5, p < 0.5, or p...
When the null and alternative hypotheses are stated, it is observed that the null hypothesis is a neutral statement against which the alternative hypothesis is tested. The alternative hypothesis is a claim that instead has a certain direction. If the null hypothesis claims that p = 0.5, the alternative hypothesis would be an opposing statement to this and can be put either p > 0.5, p < 0.5, or p...
27.9K
01:14Errors In Hypothesis Tests
6.0K
When performing a hypothesis test, there are four possible outcomes depending on the actual truth (or falseness) of the null hypothesis and the decision to reject or not.
6.0K
01:16Statistical Hypothesis Testing
7.0K
Hypothesis testing is a critical statistical procedure facilitating informed, evidence-based decisions. It begins with a hypothesis, which is a tentative explanation, or a prediction about a population parameter. This hypothesis can be either a null hypothesis (H0), indicating no effect or difference, or an alternative hypothesis (Ha), suggesting an effect or difference.
Statistical significance measures the probability that an observed result occurred by chance. If this probability, known as...
Statistical significance measures the probability that an observed result occurred by chance. If this probability, known as...
7.0K
01:13Accuracy and Errors in Hypothesis Testing
599
Hypothesis testing is a fundamental statistical tool that begins with the assumption that the null hypothesis H0 is true. During this process, two types of errors can occur: Type I and Type II. A Type I error refers to the incorrect rejection of a true null hypothesis, while a Type II error involves the failure to reject a false null hypothesis.
In hypothesis testing, the probability of making a Type I error, denoted as α, is commonly set at 0.05. This significance level indicates a 5%...
In hypothesis testing, the probability of making a Type I error, denoted as α, is commonly set at 0.05. This significance level indicates a 5%...
599
01:16Statistical Inference Techniques in Hypothesis Testing: Parametric Versus Nonparametric Data
490
Statistical inference techniques, paramount in hypothesis testing, differentiate into two broad categories: parametric and nonparametric statistics.
Parametric statistics, as the name suggests, assumes that data follow a specific distribution, often a normal distribution. This assumption enables robust hypothesis testing and estimation. Parametric methods, like the Student's t-test or Goodness-of-fit test, are frequently employed in biostatistics due to their robustness. For instance,...
Parametric statistics, as the name suggests, assumes that data follow a specific distribution, often a normal distribution. This assumption enables robust hypothesis testing and estimation. Parametric methods, like the Student's t-test or Goodness-of-fit test, are frequently employed in biostatistics due to their robustness. For instance,...
490
01:31What is a Sensory System?
101.2K
Sensory systems detect stimuli—such as light and sound waves—and transduce them into neural signals that can be interpreted by the nervous system. In addition to external stimuli detected by the senses, some sensory systems detect internal stimuli—such as the proprioceptors in muscles and tendons that send feedback about limb position.
101.2K