Inflight head stabilization associated with wingbeat cycle and sonar emissions in the lingual echolocating Egyptian fruit bat, Rousettus aegyptiacus

Sensory processing of environmental stimuli is challenged by head movements that perturb sensorimotor coordinate frames directing behaviors. In the case of visually guided behaviors, visual gaze stabilization results from the integrated activity of the vestibuloocular reflex and motor efference copy originating within circuits driving locomotor behavior. In the present investigation, it was hypothesized that head stabilization is broadly implemented in echolocating bats during sustained flight, and is temporally associated with emitted sonar signals which would optimize acoustic gaze. Predictions from these hypotheses were evaluated by measuring head and body kinematics with motion sensors attached to the head and body of free-flying Egyptian fruit bats. These devices were integrated with ultrasonic microphones to record sonar emissions and elucidate the temporal association with periods of head stabilization. Head accelerations in the Earth-vertical axis were asymmetric with respect to wing downstroke and upstroke relative to body accelerations. This indicated that inflight head and body accelerations were uncoupled, outcomes consistent with the mechanisms that limit vertical head acceleration during wing downstroke. Furthermore, sonar emissions during stable flight occurred most often during wing downstroke and head stabilization, supporting the conclusion that head stabilization behavior optimized sonar gaze and environmental interrogation via echolocation.

Automated summary

This study found that head stabilization behavior in echolocating bats optimizes sonar gaze and environmental interrogation via echolocation, as supported by free-flying Egyptian fruit bats experiments. Head and body accelerations during flight were uncoupled, with sonar emissions occurring most often during wing downstroke and head stabilization.