search

UMD     This Site





The web site Live Science reports that bats flying in groups do not use their echolocating voices as often as bats flying solo. Recent research by Professor Cynthia Moss (Psychology/ISR), ISR Graduate Research Assistant Chen Chiu, and Psychology Faculty Research Assistant Wei Xian found that in groups, up to 76 percent of the time at least one bat is quiet for more than 0.2 seconds.

"It doesn't sound like a long time, does it?" Moss told Live Science. "But in bat time, 0.2 seconds is a long time. Typically they're producing sounds with intervals of maybe 0.02 to 0.05 seconds."

The scientists can't be sure the bats' periods of hush were intended to avoid misjudging and flying into things, but it seems like a reasonable conclusion, Moss said. "It's also possible that they're trying to sneak up on the other one, showing some stealth behavior. Or they may be trying to save energy. But it seems like the most likely or dominant reason would be to minimize the jamming, and that?s because they tend to do it more when their signals are more similar."

Read the story at the Live Science website.

August 26, 2008


«Previous Story  

 

 

Current Headlines

Adjustable Drug Release Marks New Milestone in Ingestible Capsule Research

Why 'Thinking More' Isn't Always Making Generative AI Smarter

Sochol Named Interim Director of the Maryland Robotics Center

ISR Alumnus Earns Prestigious NSF CAREER Award

Celebrating a Legend: Matt Scassero's Retirement Event

MATRIX-Affiliated Faculty Solving Challenges From Sea to Space

Scientists Fast-Track Nerve-on-a-Chip Design via Machine Learning Algorithms

Sochol Receives E. Robert Kent Outstanding Teaching Award for Junior Faculty

Innovation and Collaboration: Congressional Leaders Visit Southern Maryland

ISR Honors 2025 Graduate Achievements

 
 
Back to top  
Home Clark School Home UMD Home