Functional differences in echolocation call design in an adaptive radiation of bats.

ABSTRACT: All organisms have specialized systems to sense their environment. Most bat species use echolocation for navigation and foraging, but which and how ecological factors shaped echolocation call diversity remains unclear for the most diverse clades, including the adaptive radiation of neotropical leaf-nosed bats (Phyllostomidae). This is because phyllostomids emit low-intensity echolocation calls and many inhabit dense forests, leading to low representation in acoustic surveys. We present a field-collected, echolocation call dataset spanning 35 species and all phyllostomid dietary guilds. We analyze these data under a phylogenetic framework to test the hypothesis that echolocation call design and parameters are specialized for the acoustic demands of different diets, and investigate the contr

SUBMITTER: Leiser-Miller LB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8601877 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature