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A bony connection signals laryngeal echolocation in bats

Author

Listed:
  • Nina Veselka

    (Department of Biology,)

  • David D. McErlain

    (Imaging Research Laboratories, Robarts Research Institute,
    University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada)

  • David W. Holdsworth

    (Imaging Research Laboratories, Robarts Research Institute,
    Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5K8, Canada)

  • Judith L. Eger

    (Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2C6, Canada)

  • Rethy K. Chhem

    (Medical University of Vienna
    International Atomic Energy Agency, Wagramer Strasse 5, PO Box 200, 1400 Vienna, Austria)

  • Matthew J. Mason

    (Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK)

  • Kirsty L. Brain

    (Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK)

  • Paul A. Faure

    (Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada)

  • M. Brock Fenton

    (Department of Biology,)

Abstract

A bone of echolocation Bats are highly specialized mammals — they can all fly, and many use echolocation to communicate and find prey. Work on a primitive fossil bat Onychonycteris finneyi suggested that although it could fly, it would not have been able to echolocate. Now a microcomputed tomography study of 26 bat species shows that in bats that use larynx-generated clicks to echolocate, the stylohyal bone in the throat is connected to the tympanic bone in the ear region of the skull. This condition is found in Onychonycteris, once again reopening basic questions about the timing and the origin of flight and echolocation in the early evolution of bats.

Suggested Citation

  • Nina Veselka & David D. McErlain & David W. Holdsworth & Judith L. Eger & Rethy K. Chhem & Matthew J. Mason & Kirsty L. Brain & Paul A. Faure & M. Brock Fenton, 2010. "A bony connection signals laryngeal echolocation in bats," Nature, Nature, vol. 463(7283), pages 939-942, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:463:y:2010:i:7283:d:10.1038_nature08737
    DOI: 10.1038/nature08737
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