Sounds Yummy!

Bats use echolocation to find food while in flight.  A bat’s screech bounces off the surrounding objects.  The bat quickly processes these returned echoes to hone in on food.   This impressive characteristic has researchers asking how bats differentiate between food and the rest of the world. 

Researchers are finding that the bats rely upon neurons to differentiate the variances in amplitude received from the bat’s echoes.  The returned echoes have minute variances, but are present enough so the bat can differentiate between food and clutter.  Scientists are finding that bats process the echoes on two neurological levels; the first level being focused on the target, and the second processing nearby clutter.  This second level of processing is what keeps the bat safe during flight.  These findings could help in the refinement of sonar-led vehicles such as submarines. 

Interested in teaching your students more about bats? Check out SSR's Vol 41 DVD, episode: Ecology - Bats: Creatures of the Night.  Interested in speaking to students about bats? E-mail Fallon@ssrvideo.com

Source:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110728144747.htm