How Does Bat Sonar Work?

Non-human primates’ communication based on a limited range of sounds and gestures. Human communication is far more focused on the use of oral sounds. The human voice and non-human primate vocalizations are characterized by important differences. Our speech is radically different from other sounds used by non-human primates to communicate. Vocal perception abilities through conspecific vocalizations are important in social interactions. Only human possess speech perception to communicate in a highly efficient manner (Belin, 2006). Human and non-human primates’ vocalization differs in the morphology of the vocal apparatus and acoustic structure (Fitch 2000, 2003). Primates such as monkeys possess vocal folds in the vocal tract which are absent in humans (Schon Ybarra 1995). The larynx in the vocal tract of human is much lower compared to the non-human primates. The lowered larynx allows the increase of flexibility of the tongue and thus yielding a large range of frequencies. In contrast, higher larynx leads to inflexibility of the tongue thus limiting the non-human primates’ ability to yield acoustically distinct sounds through their vocal tract (Belin, 2006). In addition, non-human primates do not use their tongue to modify the shape of the vocal tract for the production of sound. The distinct production of human speech involves

An experiment could be devised in which bats are taken in a large quantity and one

One has probably heard the simile, “you must be blind as a bat!” Well in fact, this statement is false, bats are not blind. Formally known in the mammal family as Chiroptera, bats can be split into two sub orders known as mega-bats (flying foxes or fruit bats) and micro-bats. Typically, when bats are thought of it is commonly known to have the characteristics of having echolocation, or sonar vision, to aid detection of objects in complete darkness. As illustrated in Figure 1, echolocation is the use of sound waves made by the contraction of the larynx, these waves are then reflected back from the moving object to signal the bat.

The vocal uniqueness in animals is present in a variety of species such as bats, dolphins, and birds (such as songbirds).

Corynorhinus townsendii, better known as Townsend’s big-eared bat, is a nocturnal bat native to North America. Found primarily in evergreen forests where caves and rocky outcrops are abundant, these bats are accustomed to a moderate climate. C. townsendii is categorized under the phylum Chordata, which is characterized by organisms that possess a notch cord. More specifically, Townsend’s bat is classified in the class Mamalia, which is characterized by animals that have hair, mammary glands, and the neocortex region of the brain. Class Mamalia encompasses myriad species and organisms, including humans, whales, squirrels, and other types of bats. Townsend’s bat is further

I can distinctly remember myself as a young child walking outside at dusk and looking up into the sky seeing a recurring black cloud floating above, swooping and diving like a synchronized ballet above me. Now, sixteen or so odd years later when I visit my parents country home in North Georgia, I no longer see the performance dancing above me. This is a sad reminder of a much bigger issue. The issue I am referring to is the huge decline in the eastern bat population due to WNS or White Nose Syndrome.

As newer research began during the 1900s, the sonar started to make changes and new developments. Active sonar, provides pulses of sounds and listening for echoes. Gives warning if an object is in the path and returns an “echo” to the sonar transducer. The transducer can determine the range and orientation of the object. Passive sonar systems are used primarily to detect noise from marine objects (such as submarines or ships). Unlike active sonar, passive sonar does not emit its own signal, which is an advantage for military vessels that do not want to be found or for scientific missions that concentrate on quietly “listening” to the ocean. The purpose for both sonar’s is to detect the acoustic signals emanating from external

The developed method was tested at a Laredo CBP Port of Entry, where it detected Copitarsia

through their vocal chords and other parts directed to the cochlea. Your head enhances it to have

It is caused by a white fungus that grows on their nose and wings.White Nose affects hibernating bats. It’s named after the fungus that grows on the bat’s nose. White nose has been spreading like wildfire through Eastern North America and Canada since the first record of it in 2006-2007 in New York. White Nose causes the bat to fly around in winter when they should be hibernating. There has been 5/7 million deaths of bats caused by White Nose. There are many organizations that looking for a way to stop White Nose. One is White Nose syndrome (WNS). They take many tests to try to find out more about White

Also in Jason Torres`s "Sound Is All Around Us" he says that hearing is about vibrations and it is actually our brain that tells us what is happening and what the sound is. He also said to hear sound you need something on one side to receive the sound and another side to send it to your brain. So when the vibrations hit an animal

In most of frogs there is a throat sac, which is located right under their mouth, and it is helpful in amplifying their calls. The throat sac expands as a balloon when the air from the lungs fills it. What happens is the air travels from lungs, through larynx, causing vibration of vocal cords, which in turn produce a sound. That sound is carried over into the vocal sac where it resonates, and thus is amplified, making it

The next section of the ear, the middle ear consists of the tympanic membrane which is also known as the ear drum, this is where the sound hits and causes the membrane to vibrate, these vibrations are then passed onto the next part of the middle ear which consist of three small bones called the ossicles also known individually as the malleus, incus and stapes. The sound energy up to the inner ear travels through air but after these three small bones the inner ear (cochlea) is filled with a fluid that the vibrations pass through. I imagine the reason for this is that liquid can transfer the energy more efficiently than air. The malleus, incus and stapes act as an amplifier to boost the level going into this liquid filled chamber. The

Speech itself cannot be fossilized, however there are anatomical adaptations that are related to speech that have been fossilized. Although the soft tissue of the vocal tract does not fossilize well, there is one bone in the larynx that does fossilize well, the hyoid bone. This bone appears to be the same bone in Neanderthals just as in those found in modern humans (Abry, 1998). Although it is difficult to find evidence of speech, other sources of evidence have become available that demonstrate the absence or presence of speech. Increased tongue movements and control are needed for speech and it is expected that the nerves of the tongue and the diaphragm are larger in humans than in of other species, providing help with the articulation of speech (Arby, 1998). As the nerves pass through the canals in skulls, this can be measured by the size of the relevant holes in

These large ears (although stunting maneuverability) allow them to compensate for their lack of eyesight by being able to hear at very high frequencies. Hearing at an incredible range allows Microbats ears to cooperate with an incredible technique they use called echolocation. Now there are two major groups bats are divided into, Megabats and Microbats. Only Microbats use echolocation and as mentioned before, echolocation is the use of emitting high frequency sound waves to their environment giving “visual” guidance to the Bat.