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A sensorimotor model shows why a spectral jamming avoidance response does not help bats deal with jamming
Omer Mazar1, Yossi Yovel1,2
1Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Elife
|July 29, 2020
Summary
Echolocating bats can successfully hunt in groups despite jamming from conspecific calls. A jamming avoidance response (JAR) does not improve insect detection or capture in simulations, as bats already optimize echolocation signals.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Bioacoustics
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Bats use echolocation for navigation and hunting.
- Conspecific masking from other bats' calls can interfere with echolocation.
- The effectiveness of jamming avoidance responses (JARs) in bats is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how echolocating bats overcome masking from conspecific calls.
- To model the effectiveness of a spectral jamming avoidance response (JAR) in bats.
- To understand bat foraging success in aggregations.
Main Methods:
- Developed a comprehensive sensorimotor predator-prey simulation.
- Modeled numerous bats foraging in proximity.
- Examined the impact of a spectral JAR on foraging performance.
Main Results:
- Foraging performance decreased when bats foraged near conspecifics.
- Applying a JAR did not improve insect sensing or capture.
- Bats' constant adjustment of echolocation signals limits the benefit of JARs.
Conclusions:
- Bats can successfully hunt in groups despite acoustic competition and masking.
- A spectral JAR is not an effective strategy for mitigating jamming in bats.
- Modeling approaches are valuable for studying complex biological systems like bat echolocation.
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