Bats as new models for social communication

Abstract

Bat echolocation has been the focus of extensive acoustic research for over 50 years. However, our knowledge of bat social communication is in its infancy, having really only begun to develop over the last decade. This is because only recently have ultrasonic recording and playback become affordable, rugged, and portable—making field research highly expedient. These advances have in essence opened up an entirely new frontier in acoustic research. Indeed a very large frontier with over 1000 diverse species, nearly all of which are highly social. Here, I review the types of vocalizations bats produce, from echolocation calls, to simple calls to complex songs. For example, simple infant isolation calls are produced by the majority of mammals with little to no specialization in bats. In contrast, our work on Molossid bats shows that they embed “echolocation” calls into complex song phrases while roosting and in flight. In this case, social communication is likely an exaptation of the highly specialized echolocation system. Finally, I discuss where bats fit into our current models—birds, anurans, cetaceans, and rodents—and how using a comparative approach can greatly expand our understanding of acoustic communication.