Echolocating bats rely on audiovocal feedback to adapt sonar signal design
Abstract
Echolocating animals are well known for their capability to extract rich information about the environment from echo returns. However, past research has not determined whether audiovocal feedback contributes to sonar call design. Audiovocal feedback is the process whereby an animal listens to the sounds it is producing and is used by both nonecholocating animals and humans to control their ongoing vocalizations. Here, we show that echolocating bats rely on audiovocal feedback, instead of echo feedback, to adapt their sonar call design in response to acoustic jamming signals. Our findings demonstrate that bats, like birds and humans, not only use audiovocal feedback to fine-tune the features of their calls, but also do so on a rapid timescale.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Sep 25, 2017
- Source ID
- 10.1073/pnas.1711892114
Entities
People
- Cynthia F. Moss
- Jinhong Luo
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Human Frontier Science Program
- Johns Hopkins University
- National Science Foundation
- Office of Naval Research