Bats Use Sound to Seduce

Not a human being can do seduction to get her partner, bats are also doing the same thing to get a pair. A study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, revealed that the information contained on the votes cast bat also includes information about sex, which is to help the flying mammal is to get a partner.

The info is especially helpful to certain male bats with harems of adoring females that are actually huskier than the males. This holds true for the greater sac-winged bat (Saccopteryx bilineata), which was the focus of the study.

The little brown bat is shown. Studies on reater sac-winged bats reveal that male bat echolocation calls, primarily used for orientation and foraging, also contain information about sex. (Picture from: http://news.discovery.com/)

As quoted by LiveScience, researchers leader from the University of Ulm, Mirjam Knörnschild said, "male S. bilineata court females whenever the opportunity arises. The social information in echolocation calls about the sex of the calling bat benefits listening harem males because they can distinguish between females and male rivals. It might also benefit calling females because they are greeted friendly."

Knörnschild, a researcher at the University of Ulm's Institute of Experimental Ecology, and her team analyzed greater sac-winged bat echolocation calls. The scientists discovered that the calls contain "pronounced vocal signatures encoding sex and individual identity." This can include species identity, age, sex, group affiliation, and other more specific information about the individual.

Male greater sac-winged bats (Saccopteryx bilineata) use one song to attract females and another to defend their territory. They also vocalize to find food, bouncing sound waves off insects as they fly, a behavior known as echolocation. (Picture from: http://www.livescience.com/)

In addition, the team also found that the sonar echolocation provides social information about bats transmit. Seduction of a male can be used to distinguish between potential mates or potential competitors. For the female, beam sonar which enables them to identify males who threw a friendly greeting.

Previously it was thought that bats just used echolocation to see with sound, utilizing sonar to detect obstacles while in flight, to find their way around in the dark, to help forage for food, and for other essential purposes. Now it's known that this very utilitarian system serves a dual function by facilitating courtship and social communication in general. *** [GI | LIVESCIENCE | PIKIRAN RAKYAT 11102012]
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