Abstract
Simple SummaryDuring the development of animals from juvenile to adult, their behaviour, morphology, and physiology can be altered to accommodate specific developmental periods. Early development in young animals directly affects the acquisition and maturation of behavioural skills and neurological functions in adults. Studying the behavioural development of young animals can help reveal the formation and evolution of animal behaviour. As the only mammalian group that flies, studying the behavioural development of young bats can help improve our understanding of bat flight behaviour. From our observations in the laboratory, we found that wing flapping and wing spreading behaviours in young bats promote earlier flight attempts.Behavioural development is an important aspect of research on animal behaviour. In bats, many studies have been conducted on the development of flight behaviour, but the postnatal behavioural development of bats remains largely unexplored. We studied the behaviours and postnatal development of infant bats by conducting controlled video recorded experiments. Our results showed that before weaning, Asian parti-coloured bats (Vespertilio sinensis) were able to exhibit four types of behaviours, namely, crawling, head moving, wing flapping, and wing spreading, and these behaviours are different from those observed in experiments with adult bats. The number of occurrences of these behaviours was correlated with age and scaled mass index. Furthermore, the number of occurrences of these behaviours in young bats could also reflect their physical developmental status. In young bats, wing flapping and spreading might be a type of play behaviour. These behaviours were negatively correlated with the time of the first flight, indicating that they might help to promote individual physical development. Our results provide fundamental data for revealing the ontogenetic and neurophysiological mechanisms of behavioural development in bats.
Highlights
Tinbergen [1] established behavioural development as one of the four main problems in behavioural biology
Integrating the results recorded by the two observers, four kinds of locomotor behaviours, i.e., crawling, head moving, wing flapping, and wing spreading, were classified in Asian parti-coloured bat infants in the early stage of development (3–35 days old) (Table 2)
The body is not yet functionally developed enough for flight, we propose that wing flapping and spreading behaviours during development, similar to play behaviour, may prepare young bats for flight
Summary
Tinbergen [1] established behavioural development as one of the four main problems in behavioural biology. Adult behavioural patterns are often expressed by juveniles throughout ontogeny. The songs of birds are formed gradually during their development [2]. Social behaviour during juvenile development in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.) affects their social relationships in adulthood. The behavioural repertoire of a mature animal cannot be fully understood without knowledge of the ontogenetic origins of the animal’s behaviour [3,4].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
