Bats pre-adapt sensory acquisition according to target distance prior to takeoff even in the presence of closer background objects

Abstract Animals execute sensorimotor sequences to optimize performance of complex actions series. However, the sensory aspects of these sequences and their dynamic control are often poorly understood. We trained bats to fly to targets at different distances, and analysed their sensory behavior befo...

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Autores principales: Eran Amichai, Yossi Yovel
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Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: Nature Portfolio 2017
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Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/01a728aabd2a4e1abe4bb81462b3e829
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spelling oai:doaj.org-article:01a728aabd2a4e1abe4bb81462b3e8292021-12-02T12:32:20ZBats pre-adapt sensory acquisition according to target distance prior to takeoff even in the presence of closer background objects10.1038/s41598-017-00543-82045-2322https://doaj.org/article/01a728aabd2a4e1abe4bb81462b3e8292017-03-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-00543-8https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract Animals execute sensorimotor sequences to optimize performance of complex actions series. However, the sensory aspects of these sequences and their dynamic control are often poorly understood. We trained bats to fly to targets at different distances, and analysed their sensory behavior before and during flight to test whether they assess target distance before flight and how they adapt sensory acquisition in different situations. We demonstrate that bats’ sensory acquisition during approach-flight is more flexible than previously described. We identified acoustic parameters that illustrate that bats assess target distance before takeoff. We show that bats adapt their echolocation approach-sequences to target distance - ignoring closer background objects. At shorter distances, bats initiated their echolocation approach-sequence with distance-appropriate parameters, thus entering the approach sensory sequence “in step”. Our results suggest that in order to perform fine flight-manoeuvres, bats must maintain their sensorimotor plan in phase. To do this, they adapt acquisition according to target distance before initiating a complex sensory sequence based on a sensorimotor feedback-loop, even in complex acoustic environments, which impose other sensory reactions and restrictions. Though studying this in non-echolocating animals may prove difficult, such mechanisms are probably widely used in nature whenever complex series of sensorimotor actions are required.Eran AmichaiYossi YovelNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 7, Iss 1, Pp 1-8 (2017)
institution DOAJ
collection DOAJ
language EN
topic Medicine
R
Science
Q
spellingShingle Medicine
R
Science
Q
Eran Amichai
Yossi Yovel
Bats pre-adapt sensory acquisition according to target distance prior to takeoff even in the presence of closer background objects
description Abstract Animals execute sensorimotor sequences to optimize performance of complex actions series. However, the sensory aspects of these sequences and their dynamic control are often poorly understood. We trained bats to fly to targets at different distances, and analysed their sensory behavior before and during flight to test whether they assess target distance before flight and how they adapt sensory acquisition in different situations. We demonstrate that bats’ sensory acquisition during approach-flight is more flexible than previously described. We identified acoustic parameters that illustrate that bats assess target distance before takeoff. We show that bats adapt their echolocation approach-sequences to target distance - ignoring closer background objects. At shorter distances, bats initiated their echolocation approach-sequence with distance-appropriate parameters, thus entering the approach sensory sequence “in step”. Our results suggest that in order to perform fine flight-manoeuvres, bats must maintain their sensorimotor plan in phase. To do this, they adapt acquisition according to target distance before initiating a complex sensory sequence based on a sensorimotor feedback-loop, even in complex acoustic environments, which impose other sensory reactions and restrictions. Though studying this in non-echolocating animals may prove difficult, such mechanisms are probably widely used in nature whenever complex series of sensorimotor actions are required.
format article
author Eran Amichai
Yossi Yovel
author_facet Eran Amichai
Yossi Yovel
author_sort Eran Amichai
title Bats pre-adapt sensory acquisition according to target distance prior to takeoff even in the presence of closer background objects
title_short Bats pre-adapt sensory acquisition according to target distance prior to takeoff even in the presence of closer background objects
title_full Bats pre-adapt sensory acquisition according to target distance prior to takeoff even in the presence of closer background objects
title_fullStr Bats pre-adapt sensory acquisition according to target distance prior to takeoff even in the presence of closer background objects
title_full_unstemmed Bats pre-adapt sensory acquisition according to target distance prior to takeoff even in the presence of closer background objects
title_sort bats pre-adapt sensory acquisition according to target distance prior to takeoff even in the presence of closer background objects
publisher Nature Portfolio
publishDate 2017
url https://doaj.org/article/01a728aabd2a4e1abe4bb81462b3e829
work_keys_str_mv AT eranamichai batspreadaptsensoryacquisitionaccordingtotargetdistancepriortotakeoffeveninthepresenceofcloserbackgroundobjects
AT yossiyovel batspreadaptsensoryacquisitionaccordingtotargetdistancepriortotakeoffeveninthepresenceofcloserbackgroundobjects
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