Versatility and Stereotypy of Free-Tailed Bat Songs

Versatility and Stereotypy of Free-Tailed Bat Songs

In mammals, complex songs are uncommon and few studies have examined song composition or the order of elements in songs, particularly with respect to regional and individual variation. In this study we examine how syllables and phrases are ordered and combined, ie "syntax", of the song of Tadarida brasiliensis, the Brazilian free-tailed bat. Specifically, we test whether phrase and song composi...

Vocal Flexibility and Regional Variation in Free-Tailed Bat Song

Medial superior olive in the free-tailed bat: response to pure tones and amplitude-modulated tones.

In mammals with good low-frequency hearing and a moderate to large interear distance, neurons in the medial superior olive (MSO) are sensitive to interaural time differences (ITDs). Most small mammals, however, do not hear low frequencies and do not experience significant ITDs, suggesting that their MSOs participate in functions other than ITD coding. In one bat species, the mustached bat, the ...

Prenatal Growth and Development in the Angolan Free-tailed Bat, Mops Condylurus (chiroptera: Molossidae)

We present data on prenatal growth, development, and skeletal ossification for the Angolan free-tailed bat (Mops condylurus), a species distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Specimens were measured for crown–rump length (CRL), greatest length of the skull (GLS), forearm length, mass, and wing area. We cleared and differentially stained specimens for cartilage and bone to quantify pattern o...

Serotonergic innervation of the auditory brainstem of the Mexican free-tailed bat, Tadarida brasiliensis.

Anatomical and electrophysiological evidence suggests that serotonin alters the processing of sound in the auditory brainstem of many mammalian species. The Mexican free-tailed bat is a hearing specialist, like other microchiropteran bats. At the same time, many aspects of its auditory brainstem are similar to those in other mammals. This dichotomy raises an interesting question regarding the s...