GPS technology can make our journey easier and efficient. But for many animals, the ability to successfully navigate the landscape is not just a matter of convenience because their survival depends upon it.
 |
| Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) (Picture from: http://en.wikipedia.org/) |
Egyptian fruit bats, for example, flying tens of miles every night to feed on certain fruit trees. They can also make the journey home, on the same night.
To find out, how bats find tree every night, the scientists captured a bat and attach a small GPS device on his body. This is the first trial of a comprehensive field-based GPS navigation mammals.
The results of this study indicate, bats are naturally bring the internal cognitive maps of their home range patterns based on natural visual landmarks, such as lights or a hill. The study, which was written on August 15, 2011 in Prociding National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) is to reveal, how these flying mammals find their way in the environment naturally.
In regard to this natural GPS devices, many researchers have investigated the navigational skills of other creatures such as birds, fish, insects, lobsters, turtles, etc. But the study's navigation mammals confined to the laboratory environment. Laboratory studies can not duplicate, the landscape of the animals have to navigate complex in nature.
The new approach to study the navigation of these bats, developed by a collaboration of researchers from several institutions and disciplines. The research team from Israel, Italy, and Switzerland that develops miniature GPS device weighs about 10 grams which contains the receiver (receiver) small GPS. In addition to the memory logger and battery, the researchers used a device to track the movement of Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) for several nights in a row.
The researchers collected data every night of the flying bat cave near the city of Beit Shemesh in Israel. This bat was flying in a straight line, with speeds of 40 miles per hour. This is done at a height of hundreds of meters is about 12 to 25 miles from their caves. Apparently the next day, they went to the same tree, every night. Even through the trees, which seem identical closer to home.
The data show that the ability to navigate the bat is able to compete with pigeons. The fact that bats find fruit trees are similar, to get the next night's favorite fruit is an instinct that is guided by the inherent nature of GPS since thousands of years ago. As the main navigation aid, experts analyzed, that the bat was not only "beaconing" (a kind gesture) on each individual but using visual or other cues.
For further research, the scientists took a few bats in the new areas in the desert. Located 44 kilometers south, away from their normal range. Some bats are released at dusk, foraging in a new area before dawn. When first bat was released in the new area, mammals did not have trouble navigating to their favorite fruit trees. Wild animals, directly back to their cave afterwards.
There is a unique question, why would they be so right back to his house? Experts see a phenomenon, it turns out these animals naturally use the existing mini GPS and attached to his body. This acts as a natural GPS device that guides the lives of these animals to go home on time and accurately.
An excess in bats, which can use the world's smallest GPS that can be utilized by humans as sophisticated technology for a variety of needs. Based on partial analysis model, these bats GPS technology can now be used by pilots to fly at night. Steath stealth aircraft even belongs to the United States, also owned by Russian and China using the latest mini GPS technology like those of bats. With this advanced equipment, bats can see visually familiar, in the hills or the lights of human settlements that will be passed the plane.
Although they fly away, until miles and Mlometer away with GPS it has, they can return safely and the right place. This confirms that the feeding of small animals have sophisticated equipment that is not just any nature held by any animal.
As an intelligent human being, we take advantage of that capability for other purposes, either for war (aircraft, missiles), as well as public transport. That bats use visual information from the "bird's eye view" to build extensive cognitive map.
The scientists believe that bats are most likely to calculate their own location by using a form of triangulation based on different azimuths for distant landmarks.
Although laboratory experiments based on the distance of one meter or two indicate the existence of an internal map] for navigation, this is the first study to show that mammals such as fruit bats use the map to find their way around the area of 100 square km in size. *** [DEDI RISKOMAR | PIKIRAN RAKYAT 10112011]
To find out, how bats find tree every night, the scientists captured a bat and attach a small GPS device on his body. This is the first trial of a comprehensive field-based GPS navigation mammals.
The results of this study indicate, bats are naturally bring the internal cognitive maps of their home range patterns based on natural visual landmarks, such as lights or a hill. The study, which was written on August 15, 2011 in Prociding National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) is to reveal, how these flying mammals find their way in the environment naturally.
In regard to this natural GPS devices, many researchers have investigated the navigational skills of other creatures such as birds, fish, insects, lobsters, turtles, etc. But the study's navigation mammals confined to the laboratory environment. Laboratory studies can not duplicate, the landscape of the animals have to navigate complex in nature.
The new approach to study the navigation of these bats, developed by a collaboration of researchers from several institutions and disciplines. The research team from Israel, Italy, and Switzerland that develops miniature GPS device weighs about 10 grams which contains the receiver (receiver) small GPS. In addition to the memory logger and battery, the researchers used a device to track the movement of Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) for several nights in a row.
The researchers collected data every night of the flying bat cave near the city of Beit Shemesh in Israel. This bat was flying in a straight line, with speeds of 40 miles per hour. This is done at a height of hundreds of meters is about 12 to 25 miles from their caves. Apparently the next day, they went to the same tree, every night. Even through the trees, which seem identical closer to home.
The data show that the ability to navigate the bat is able to compete with pigeons. The fact that bats find fruit trees are similar, to get the next night's favorite fruit is an instinct that is guided by the inherent nature of GPS since thousands of years ago. As the main navigation aid, experts analyzed, that the bat was not only "beaconing" (a kind gesture) on each individual but using visual or other cues.
For further research, the scientists took a few bats in the new areas in the desert. Located 44 kilometers south, away from their normal range. Some bats are released at dusk, foraging in a new area before dawn. When first bat was released in the new area, mammals did not have trouble navigating to their favorite fruit trees. Wild animals, directly back to their cave afterwards.
There is a unique question, why would they be so right back to his house? Experts see a phenomenon, it turns out these animals naturally use the existing mini GPS and attached to his body. This acts as a natural GPS device that guides the lives of these animals to go home on time and accurately.
An excess in bats, which can use the world's smallest GPS that can be utilized by humans as sophisticated technology for a variety of needs. Based on partial analysis model, these bats GPS technology can now be used by pilots to fly at night. Steath stealth aircraft even belongs to the United States, also owned by Russian and China using the latest mini GPS technology like those of bats. With this advanced equipment, bats can see visually familiar, in the hills or the lights of human settlements that will be passed the plane.
Although they fly away, until miles and Mlometer away with GPS it has, they can return safely and the right place. This confirms that the feeding of small animals have sophisticated equipment that is not just any nature held by any animal.
As an intelligent human being, we take advantage of that capability for other purposes, either for war (aircraft, missiles), as well as public transport. That bats use visual information from the "bird's eye view" to build extensive cognitive map.
The scientists believe that bats are most likely to calculate their own location by using a form of triangulation based on different azimuths for distant landmarks.
Although laboratory experiments based on the distance of one meter or two indicate the existence of an internal map] for navigation, this is the first study to show that mammals such as fruit bats use the map to find their way around the area of 100 square km in size. *** [DEDI RISKOMAR | PIKIRAN RAKYAT 10112011]
