五种蝙蝠形态与回声定位叫声的性别差异

为研究角菊头蝠(Rhinolophus cornutus)、三叶蹄蝠(Aselliscus uheeleri)、大蹄蝠(Hipposideros armiger)、大鼠耳蝠(Myotis myotis)和大足鼠耳蝠(M．riketti)的形态和回声定位叫声的性别差异性,明确同种蝙蝠雌雄个体对食物、栖息地等资源利用的细微差异,我们利用超声波探测仪、Batsound分析软件及SPSS11．0统计软件对5种95只蝙蝠进行了录音、声波分析和统计分析。5种蝙蝠形态性别差异性不显著,角菊头蝠、三叶蹄蝠、大蹄蝠和大足鼠耳蝠叫声频率性别差异性显著,大鼠耳蝠叫声频率性别差异性不显著。角菊头蝠雌性叫声的基频、分音、主频率高于雄性,声脉冲时间、间隔时间大于雄性,调频(FM)带宽小于雄性;三叶蹄蝠、大蹄蝠叫声的基频、主频率雄性高于雌性,调频带宽雌性小于雄性;大足鼠耳蝠叫声的主频率雄性高于雌性,FM带宽雌性大于雄性[动物学报49(6)：742～747,2003]。     

拖网式食鱼蝠——大足鼠耳蝠的形态、回声定位声波及捕食策略

大足鼠耳蝠(Myotisricketti)是中国特有蝙蝠,其回声定位声波和捕食策略国内外均无报道,对大足鼠耳蝠该方面的研究报导是国内首次。大足鼠耳蝠体型较大,具有强大的后足,足上有强而有力的弯曲的爪,尾膜和距很长。大足鼠耳蝠回声定位声波为FM(调频)型,一般具有1～2个谐波,主频率较低(37.78±1.04kHz),调频带较宽(第一谐波频带宽为42.02±6.98kHz,第二谐波频带宽为25.79±7.89kHz),声脉冲时间较长(2.91±0.54ms),声脉冲间隔时间变化较大(32.30±15.10ms),能率环较高(11.27±5.84%);野外观察发现,大足鼠耳蝠主要在低水面上空飞行,利用大足从水面捕食猎物(拖网式捕食),猎物主要由鱼类组成。即分析和讨论了大足鼠耳蝠形态特征、回声定位特征和捕食策略的相互适应性。     

白腹管鼻蝠成体交流声波多样性

小蝙蝠亚目即通常所说的蝙蝠,是哺乳动物中群居程度最高的类群之一,主要依靠声学信号在黑暗环境中进行交流并维持社群结构,很多蝙蝠种类的交流声波具有极高的多样性,但是目前关于特定种类蝙蝠交流声波的研究还比较缺乏。我们通过录制白腹管鼻蝠(Murina leucogaster)成体的声波,深入研究其交流声波声谱特征,根据交流声波在声谱图上的形状对声波类型进行初步划分,并利用主成分分析(PCA)和判别分析(DFAs)进行验证。结果表明,其交流声波在声谱结构上具有较高多样性,分为16种不同的音节类型,其中包括13种简单音节和3种组合音节,大多数音节都具有多谐波结构。简单音节可分为9种调频音节、2种准恒频音节和2种噪音,组合音节由简单音节无间隔地组合而成。第一谐波最大频率、第一谐波带宽、持续时间为与调频音节类型相关的主要参数。本研究结果为今后进一步开展研究蝙蝠发声行为的行为学意义和声波交流的神经生理学机制方面的研究奠定了基础。     

六种共栖蝙蝠的回声定位信号及翼型特征的比较

本研究于2006 年5 ～ 8 月在桂林市七星公园七星岩洞进行,比较分析了共栖2 科(蹄蝠科和蝙蝠科)6 种共75 只蝙蝠的回声定位信号和翼型特征。普氏蹄蝠的回声定位叫声为短而多谐波的CF/ FM 型,主频率为61.2±0.8 kHz, 具有高翼载、低翼展比和中等翼尖指数; 大蹄蝠的回声定位叫声为单CF/ FM 型,主频率为68. 6 ±0.7 kHz,具有高翼载、低翼展比和中等翼尖指数;中蹄蝠的回声定位叫声为单CF / FM 型,主频率为85.2 ±0.5 kHz,具有中等翼载、低翼展比和中等翼尖指数;高颅鼠耳蝠的回声定位叫声为长带宽的FM 型,主频率为50.7 ±3.8 kHz,具有低翼载、中等翼展比和低翼尖指数;大足鼠耳蝠回声定位叫声为FM 型,主频率为39.9 ±3.2 kHz,具有中等翼载、低翼展比和高翼尖指数;绒山蝠回声定位叫声为短而多谐波的FM 型,主频率为49.0± 0. 4 kHz,具有高翼载、中等翼展比和低翼尖指数。经单因素方差分析表明,6 种蝙蝠之间绝大部分的形态和声音参数差异显著(One-way ANOVA,P < 0. 05)。以上结果说明,6 种同地共栖蝙蝠种属特异的回声定位叫声
和形态结构体现出了相互之间的生态位分离,从而降低了种间竞争压力,使得6 种蝙蝠能够同地共存。     

大足鼠耳蝠的翼型和回声定位声波特征

大足鼠耳蝠(Myotis ricketti Thomas,1894)属翼手目(Chiroptera),蝙蝠科(Vespertilionidae),鼠耳蝠属(Myotis).     

湖南省蝙蝠新纪录——大足鼠耳蝠

于湖南省永州市铜岩洞采集到14只蝙蝠,经鉴定为大足鼠耳蝠(Myotis ricketti),为湖南省翼手目新纪录.本文报道了该物种体型和头骨特征,并与浙江和安徽样本进行比较.大足鼠耳蝠发出典型的下扫调频声波,其低峰频、短时程的声波特征以及强壮的后足和锋利的爪等形态特征与其在水面"拖网式(trawhng)"捕食鱼类的捕食...     

三种蝙蝠舌头转录组的比较分析

舌头通常具有味觉、消化和免疫等重要功能。由于不同的食物含有不同的营养成分,我们推测舌头中和食性相关的基因在不同食性的动物中可能具有表达差异。为了检验此假说,本研究选取三种蝙蝠(大长舌果蝠(Eonycteris spelaea)、中华菊头蝠(Rhinolophus sinicus)和大足鼠耳蝠(Myotis ricketii))为研究对象,利用RNA高通量测序技术获得了三种蝙蝠舌头的转录组数据。比较转录组分析显示,在三种蝙蝠舌头中,表达量普遍最高的基因主要具有免疫功能,说明这些基因对于维持舌头正常的功能起到不可或缺的作用;另一方面,相对于食虫的中华菊头蝠和大足鼠耳蝠,与糖类代谢相关的基因在食蜜的大长舌果蝠中显著高表达,提示这些基因在这三种蝙蝠的舌头中具有表达差异。我们的研究不仅丰富了蝙蝠的转录组资源,还证实了舌头中参与糖类代谢的基因表达差异可能和蝙蝠食性分化紧密相关。     

幼年菲菊头蝠形态和声音发育

2006年5月31日—7月20日于桂林市郊积水洞对菲菊头蝠(Rhinolophus pusillus)幼蝠形态和叫声发育进行了研究。方差分析结果显示,幼蝠在出生后近3周内体重和前臂长增长迅速,随后增长速率变缓,且体重和前臂长增长与年龄均显著相关(年龄与体重：P=0.025;年龄与前臂长：P=0.042)。幼蝠叫声时程波动大,且均长于成年个体叫声时程,时程与年龄呈显著相关性。幼蝠在出生后3周内的叫声特征为频谱结构多样、频率波动大、谐波较多,在第3周后叫声多为FM-CF-FM叫声;幼蝠叫声第1谐波频率与年龄增长显著相关,而第二谐波频率与年龄相关性较弱;幼蝠在35天后主频率已经接近成年蝙蝠叫声频率;且前臂长与幼蝠叫声频率呈显著线性关系。     

同地共栖四种蝙蝠食性和回声定位信号的差异及其生态位分化

本研究于 2 0 0 2年 5月初至 2 0 0 3年 9月中旬在北京房山区霞云岭四合村蝙蝠洞进行 ,分析了共栖同一山洞四种蝙蝠的形态特征、食性和回声定位信号。大足鼠耳蝠食谱中以宽鳍等三种鱼为主 (体积百分比为5 3% ) ,回声定位主频 4 1 87± 1 0 7kHz;马铁菊头蝠主要掠捕鳞翅目昆虫 (73% ) ,恒频叫声主频 74 70± 0 13kHz ;中华鼠耳蝠以近地面或在地表活动的鞘翅目昆虫步甲类和埋葬甲类为主要食物 (6 5 4 % ) ,声脉冲主频较低 35 73± 0 92kHz;白腹管鼻蝠捕食花萤总科和瓢虫科等鞘翅目昆虫 (90 % ) ,回声定位信号主频为 5 9 4 7±1 5 0kHz。结果证实同地共栖四种蝙蝠种属特异的回声定位叫声和形态结构的差异 ,以及不同的捕食生境和捕食策略 ,导致取食生态位分离是四种蝙蝠同地共栖的原因     

澳门翼手类物种多样性调查

2009 ～2012 年,对澳门翼手目(蝙蝠)物种多样性进行了调查。结果共捕捉到10 个物种,属5 科8 属,其中包括澳门原来记载的2 个物种,即蹄蝠科的大蹄蝠(Hipposideros armiger)和蝙蝠科的东亚伏翼(Pipistrellus abramus);本研究新增加8 个物种,即狐蝠科的犬蝠(Cynopterus sphinx) 和棕果蝠(Rousettus leschenaulti),鞘尾蝠科的黑髯墓蝠(Taphozous melanopogon),菊头蝠科的菲菊头蝠(Rhinolophus pusillus),以及蝙蝠科的大足鼠耳蝠(Myotis ricketti)、普通伏翼(P. pipistrellus)、普通长翼蝠(Miniopterus schreibersi) 和南长翼蝠(M. pusillus)。另外,通过野外录音和分析,并与已发表物种声音特征比较核对,发现菊头蝠科和蹄蝠科各一种,前者可能是泰国菊头蝠(R. siamensis)或者中菊头蝠(R. affinis),后者可能是果树蹄蝠(H. pomona) 或者三叶蹄蝠(Aselliscus stoliczkanus)。本文对已捕捉10 种蝙蝠的分布、形态特征和回声定位叫声特征进行报道,同时对其种群数量和保护现状进行了讨论。保护蝙蝠栖息生境(洞穴、古老建筑和蒲葵树等) 对保护澳门蝙蝠物种多样性至关重要。     

Bat echolocation calls facilitate social communication

Bat echolocation is primarily used for orientation and foraging but also holds great potential for social communication. The communicative function of echolocation calls is still largely unstudied, especially in the wild. Eavesdropping on vocal signatures encoding social information in echolocation calls has not, to our knowledge, been studied in free-living bats so far. We analysed echolocation calls of the polygynous bat Saccopteryx bilineata and found pronounced vocal signatures encoding sex and individual identity. We showed experimentally that free-living males discriminate approaching male and female conspecifics solely based on their echolocation calls. Males always produced aggressive vocalizations when hearing male echolocation calls and courtship vocalizations when hearing female echolocation calls; hence, they responded with complex social vocalizations in the appropriate social context. Our study demonstrates that social information encoded in bat echolocation calls plays a crucial and hitherto underestimated role for eavesdropping conspecifics and thus facilitates social communication in a highly mobile nocturnal mammal.     

Social and vocal behavior in adult greater tube-nosed bats (Murina leucogaster)

Many studies have revealed the significant influence of the social nature and ecological niche of a species on the design and complexity of their communication sounds. The knowledge of communication sounds and particularly of the flexibility in their use among mammals, however, remains patchy. Being highly vocal and social, bats are well suited for investigating vocal plasticity as well as vocal diversity. Thus, the overall aim of this study was to test the presence of structural overlap between calls used in social communication and echolocation pulses emitted during foraging in greater tube-nosed bats (Murina leucogaster). Acoustic analysis and spectrotemporal decomposition of calls revealed a rich communication repertoire comprising 12 simple syllables and 5 composites with harmonics in the ultrasonic range. Simultaneous recording of vocal and social behavior in the same species yielded a strong correspondence between distinct behaviors and specific call types in support of Morton's motivation-structure hypothesis. Spectrographic analysis of call types also revealed the presence of modified components of echolocation pulses embedded within social calls. Altogether, the data suggest that bats can parse complex sounds into structurally simpler components that are recombined within behaviorally meaningful and multifunctional contexts.     

Vocal communication in adult greater horseshoe bats, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum

Whereas echolocation in horseshoe bats is well studied, virtually nothing is known about characteristics and function of their communication calls. Therefore, the communication calls produced by a group of captive adult greater horseshoe bats were recorded during various social interactions in a free-flight facility. Analysis revealed that this species exhibited an amazingly rich repertoire of vocalizations varying in numerous spectro-temporal aspects. Calls were classified into 17 syllable types (ten simple syllables and seven composites). Syllables were combined into six types of simple phrases and four combination phrases. The majority of syllables had durations of more than 100 ms with multiple harmonics and fundamental frequencies usually above 20 kHz, although some of them were also audible to humans. Preliminary behavioral observations indicated that many calls were emitted during direct interaction with and in response to social calls from conspecifics without requiring physical contact. Some echolocation-like vocalizations also appeared to clearly serve a communication role. These results not only shed light upon a so far widely neglected aspect of horseshoe bat vocalizations, but also provide the basis for future studies on the neural control of the production of communicative vocalizations in contrast to the production of echolocation pulse sequences.     

Echolocation in the large molossid bats Eumops glaucinus and Nyctinomops macrotis

Eumops glaucinus and Nyctinomops macrotis, the largest molossid bats in Cuba, were investigated. Both species of bats share the same guild in the island and are similar in size, which allow the prediction of overlapping echolocation inventories following both the "vocal plasticity hypothesis" and the "scaling hypothesis." In addition, large body size predicts the emission of low frequency calls in the human audible range. Calls recorded during hunting show that the bats' echolocation repertoires are very similar and of low frequency, with most differences in search calls. Matches were found in the calls' design, duration, slope, bandwidth, and spectral parameters. Statistical differences between search calls are consistent with the predictions from the "scaling hypothesis," considering that E. glaucinus is only slightly larger than N. macrotis. The echolocation calls emitted by both species are in the frequency range below 20-25 kHz, which identifies both species as the only ones with echolocation in the human audible range in Cuba.     

菲菊头蝠回声定位声波频率的性二态有利于性别识别

许多动物的叫声频率呈现性二态现象。蝙蝠夜间活动,主要利用声音信号导航空间、追踪猎物、传递交流信息。本研究选择成体菲菊头蝠作为研究对象,检验回声定位声波频率性二态是否有利于性别识别。研究发现,菲菊头蝠回声定位声波频率参数具有显著性别差异。播放白噪音、雄性回声定位声波及雌性回声定位声波期间,实验个体的反应叫声数量依次递减。播放白噪音、雌性回声定位声波及雄性回声定位声波后,实验个体的反应叫声数量依次递增。白噪音诱导反应叫声强度高于回声定位声波诱导反应叫声强度。研究结果表明,菲菊头蝠回声定位声波的频率参数编码发声者性别信息,有利于种群内部的性别识别。本研究暗示,回声定位声波可能在蝙蝠配偶选择中扮演一定作用。     

Female big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus, recognize sex from a caller's echolocation signals

The echolocation calls of bats function in prey capture and navigation but are not commonly regarded as communicative signals. However, because bats' echolocation calls show patterns of variability, they may transmit information about a bat, such as its age, individual identity or sex. For echolocation calls to function in this manner, variation in calls must be reliably linked to the characteristics of the bat, as has been shown in a number of studies. However, few studies have asked whether bats respond to this variation. We tested whether female big brown bats can identify the sex of an unfamiliar bat from playbacks of its echolocation calls. Playback consisted of a 30-s preplayback period, a 60-s playback period of either male or female echolocation calls, and a 30-s postplayback period. In the playback and postplayback periods the vocalization rates of female bats changed significantly relative to the preplayback period depending on the sex of the playback stimulus, indicating that they could determine sex from the echolocation calls. These findings support the possibility that echolocation calls play a role in communication in big brown bats.     

Different Auditory Feedback Control for Echolocation and Communication in Horseshoe Bats

Auditory feedback from the animal''s own voice is essential during bat echolocation: to optimize signal detection, bats continuously adjust various call parameters in response to changing echo signals. Auditory feedback seems also necessary for controlling many bat communication calls, although it remains unclear how auditory feedback control differs in echolocation and communication. We tackled this question by analyzing echolocation and communication in greater horseshoe bats, whose echolocation pulses are dominated by a constant frequency component that matches the frequency range they hear best. To maintain echoes within this “auditory fovea”, horseshoe bats constantly adjust their echolocation call frequency depending on the frequency of the returning echo signal. This Doppler-shift compensation (DSC) behavior represents one of the most precise forms of sensory-motor feedback known. We examined the variability of echolocation pulses emitted at rest (resting frequencies, RFs) and one type of communication signal which resembles an echolocation pulse but is much shorter (short constant frequency communication calls, SCFs) and produced only during social interactions. We found that while RFs varied from day to day, corroborating earlier studies in other constant frequency bats, SCF-frequencies remained unchanged. In addition, RFs overlapped for some bats whereas SCF-frequencies were always distinctly different. This indicates that auditory feedback during echolocation changed with varying RFs but remained constant or may have been absent during emission of SCF calls for communication. This fundamentally different feedback mechanism for echolocation and communication may have enabled these bats to use SCF calls for individual recognition whereas they adjusted RF calls to accommodate the daily shifts of their auditory fovea.     

The function of nonlinear phenomena in meerkat alarm calls

Nonlinear vocal phenomena are a ubiquitous feature of human and non-human animal vocalizations. Although we understand how these complex acoustic intrusions are generated, it is not clear whether they function adaptively for the animals producing them. One explanation is that nonlinearities make calls more unpredictable, increasing behavioural responses and ultimately reducing the chances of habituation to these call types. Meerkats (Suricata suricatta) exhibit nonlinear subharmonics in their predator alarm calls. We specifically tested the ‘unpredictability hypothesis’ by playing back naturally occurring nonlinear and linear medium-urgency alarm call bouts. Results indicate that subjects responded more strongly and foraged less after hearing nonlinear alarm calls. We argue that these findings support the unpredictability hypothesis and suggest this is the first study in animals or humans to show that nonlinear vocal phenomena function adaptively.     

Bats and moths: what is there left to learn?

Abstract.  Over 14 families of moths have ears that are adapted to detect the ultrasonic echolocation calls of bats. On hearing a bat, these moths respond with an escape response that reduces their chances of being caught. As an evolutionary response, bats may then have evolved behavioural strategies or changes in call design to overcome the moth's hearing. The nature of this interaction is reviewed. In particular, the role of the echolocation calls of bats in the shaping of the structure, neurophysiology and behavioural responses of moths is discussed. Unresolved issues, such as the structural complexity of the moth's auditory system, the nature of temporal integration and the role of the non-auditory B cell, are described. Issues in which the interactions between bats and moths may be of more general interest to biologists, such as noise filtering within the central nervous system, protean behaviours and coevolution between predator and prey, are also discussed. The interaction between bats and moths has much to interest general biologists, and may provide a useful model in understanding the neurophysiological basis of behaviour, including protean escape behaviours. The validity of the term coevolution as applied to this system is discussed, as there is no doubt that the auditory system of moths is a response to the echolocation calls of bats, although the evolutionary response of bats to moths is more ambiguous.     

Echolocation calls and communication calls are controlled differentially in the brainstem of the bat Phyllostomus discolor

Background  

Echolocating bats emit vocalizations that can be classified either as echolocation calls or communication calls. Neural control of both types of calls must govern the same pool of motoneurons responsible for vocalizations. Electrical microstimulation in the periaqueductal gray matter (PAG) elicits both communication and echolocation calls, whereas stimulation of the paralemniscal area (PLA) induces only echolocation calls. In both the PAG and the PLA, the current thresholds for triggering natural vocalizations do not habituate to stimuli and remain low even for long stimulation periods, indicating that these structures have relative direct access to the final common pathway for vocalization. This study intended to clarify whether echolocation calls and communication calls are controlled differentially below the level of the PAG via separate vocal pathways before converging on the motoneurons used in vocalization.