In the evolutionary arms race between bats and their insect prey, some moths have developed ears to detect echolocating bats and avoid being caught. Conversely, barbastelle bats are known to counter moth hearing by using ...
Ecology
Mar 14, 2018
0
231
Using data collected by citizen scientists, researchers have developed new, open-source algorithms to automatically detect bat echolocation calls in audio recordings. Oisin Mac Aodha, formerly of University College London, ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 8, 2018
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149
Bats are known to harbor highly pathogenic viruses like Ebola, Marburg, Hendra, Nipah, and SARS-CoV, and yet they do not show clinical signs of disease. In a paper published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe on February ...
Cell & Microbiology
Feb 22, 2018
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28
At first glance, the cost-benefit ratio of a blood-only diet suggests that vampire bats—the only mammals to feed exclusively on the viscous, ruby-red elixir—flew down an evolutionary blind alley.
Evolution
Feb 20, 2018
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274
Most of what we know about how the hippocampus, a region of the brain associated with memory formation and spatial representations, comes from research done on rodents. Rat brains have taught us a lot, but researchers in ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 16, 2018
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87
A dangerous fungus has been sweeping across North America with devastating consequences. In the past decade, between 5m and 7m bats in the US and Canada have been wiped out as a result of the fungal disease known as white ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 15, 2018
0
47
Historical radar data from weather monitoring archives have provided unprecedented access to the behaviours of the world's largest colony of migratory bats and revealed changes in the animals' seasonal habits with implications ...
Ecology
Feb 13, 2018
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22
By measuring the brain activity of bats, scientists are learning how mammals keep track of everyone in their social circles.
Plants & Animals
Feb 8, 2018
0
7
New research from the University of Washington suggests that the Egyptian fruit bat is using similar techniques to those preferred by modern-day military and civil surveillance. The results could inspire new directions for ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 7, 2018
0
125
Scientists have identified part of the molecular mechanism that gives long-lived bat species their extraordinary lifespans compared to other animals. The findings published in the journal Science Advances point to the protective ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 7, 2018
0
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