Ultrasonic predator-prey interactions in water– convergent evolution with insects and bats in air?
Toothed whales and bats have independently evolved biosonar systems to navigate and locate and catch prey. Such active sensing allows them to operate in darkness, but with the potential cost of warning prey by the emission of intense ultrasonic signals. At least six orders of nocturnal insects have...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:5e6ce11ba49c463392739a15e038617c 2023-05-15T18:33:26+02:00 Ultrasonic predator-prey interactions in water– convergent evolution with insects and bats in air? Maria eWilson Magnus eWahlberg Annemarie eSurlykke Peter Teglberg Madsen 2013-06-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2013.00137 https://doaj.org/article/5e6ce11ba49c463392739a15e038617c EN eng Frontiers Media S.A. http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fphys.2013.00137/full https://doaj.org/toc/1664-042X 1664-042X doi:10.3389/fphys.2013.00137 https://doaj.org/article/5e6ce11ba49c463392739a15e038617c Frontiers in Physiology, Vol 4 (2013) Echolocation evolution ultrasound bats moth Alosinae Physiology QP1-981 article 2013 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2013.00137 2022-12-31T05:54:16Z Toothed whales and bats have independently evolved biosonar systems to navigate and locate and catch prey. Such active sensing allows them to operate in darkness, but with the potential cost of warning prey by the emission of intense ultrasonic signals. At least six orders of nocturnal insects have independently evolved ears sensitive to ultrasound and exhibit evasive maneuvers when exposed to bat calls. Among aquatic prey on the other hand, the ability to detect and avoid ultrasound emitting predators seems to be limited to only one subfamily of Clupeidae: the Alosinae (shad and menhaden). These differences are likely rooted in the different physical properties of air and water where cuticular mechanoreceptors have been adapted to serve as ultrasound sensitive ears, whereas ultrasound detection in water have called for sensory cells mechanically connected to highly specialized gas volumes that can oscillate at high frequencies. In addition, there are most likely differences in the risk of predation between insects and fish from echolocating predators. The selection pressure among insects for evolving ultrasound sensitive ears is high, because essentially all nocturnal predation on flying insects stems from echolocating bats. In the interaction between toothed whales and their prey the selection pressure seems weaker, because toothed whales are by no means the only marine predators placing a selection pressure on their prey to evolve specific means to detect and avoid them.Toothed whales can generate extremely intense sound pressure levels, and it has been suggested that they may use these to debilitate prey. Recent experiments however, show that neither fish with swim bladder, nor squid are debilitated by such signals. This strongly suggests that the production of high amplitude ultrasonic clicks serve the function of improving the detection range of the toothed whale biosonar system rather than debilitation of prey. Article in Journal/Newspaper toothed whale toothed whales Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Frontiers in Physiology 4 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Echolocation evolution ultrasound bats moth Alosinae Physiology QP1-981 |
spellingShingle |
Echolocation evolution ultrasound bats moth Alosinae Physiology QP1-981 Maria eWilson Magnus eWahlberg Annemarie eSurlykke Peter Teglberg Madsen Ultrasonic predator-prey interactions in water– convergent evolution with insects and bats in air? |
topic_facet |
Echolocation evolution ultrasound bats moth Alosinae Physiology QP1-981 |
description |
Toothed whales and bats have independently evolved biosonar systems to navigate and locate and catch prey. Such active sensing allows them to operate in darkness, but with the potential cost of warning prey by the emission of intense ultrasonic signals. At least six orders of nocturnal insects have independently evolved ears sensitive to ultrasound and exhibit evasive maneuvers when exposed to bat calls. Among aquatic prey on the other hand, the ability to detect and avoid ultrasound emitting predators seems to be limited to only one subfamily of Clupeidae: the Alosinae (shad and menhaden). These differences are likely rooted in the different physical properties of air and water where cuticular mechanoreceptors have been adapted to serve as ultrasound sensitive ears, whereas ultrasound detection in water have called for sensory cells mechanically connected to highly specialized gas volumes that can oscillate at high frequencies. In addition, there are most likely differences in the risk of predation between insects and fish from echolocating predators. The selection pressure among insects for evolving ultrasound sensitive ears is high, because essentially all nocturnal predation on flying insects stems from echolocating bats. In the interaction between toothed whales and their prey the selection pressure seems weaker, because toothed whales are by no means the only marine predators placing a selection pressure on their prey to evolve specific means to detect and avoid them.Toothed whales can generate extremely intense sound pressure levels, and it has been suggested that they may use these to debilitate prey. Recent experiments however, show that neither fish with swim bladder, nor squid are debilitated by such signals. This strongly suggests that the production of high amplitude ultrasonic clicks serve the function of improving the detection range of the toothed whale biosonar system rather than debilitation of prey. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Maria eWilson Magnus eWahlberg Annemarie eSurlykke Peter Teglberg Madsen |
author_facet |
Maria eWilson Magnus eWahlberg Annemarie eSurlykke Peter Teglberg Madsen |
author_sort |
Maria eWilson |
title |
Ultrasonic predator-prey interactions in water– convergent evolution with insects and bats in air? |
title_short |
Ultrasonic predator-prey interactions in water– convergent evolution with insects and bats in air? |
title_full |
Ultrasonic predator-prey interactions in water– convergent evolution with insects and bats in air? |
title_fullStr |
Ultrasonic predator-prey interactions in water– convergent evolution with insects and bats in air? |
title_full_unstemmed |
Ultrasonic predator-prey interactions in water– convergent evolution with insects and bats in air? |
title_sort |
ultrasonic predator-prey interactions in water– convergent evolution with insects and bats in air? |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2013.00137 https://doaj.org/article/5e6ce11ba49c463392739a15e038617c |
genre |
toothed whale toothed whales |
genre_facet |
toothed whale toothed whales |
op_source |
Frontiers in Physiology, Vol 4 (2013) |
op_relation |
http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fphys.2013.00137/full https://doaj.org/toc/1664-042X 1664-042X doi:10.3389/fphys.2013.00137 https://doaj.org/article/5e6ce11ba49c463392739a15e038617c |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2013.00137 |
container_title |
Frontiers in Physiology |
container_volume |
4 |
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1766218035290439680 |