Bat echolocation
Man, I am so good at this blogging thing. =P
So BATS. They're pretty fantastic; the only known flying mammal that's ever existed. They also have (I believe) the largest order of any mammal. They developed flight very early in their evolution, and not much has changed since then.
There are two primary ways to produce echolocation sounds: internal production with a modified larynx, and via tongue-clicking. Tongue-clicking is generally considered to be the more primitive method. However tongue-clicking bats have longer-range than other echolocating bats (most bats can only identify potential prey from 5m away or less).
What's really cool about echolocation is that every species does it slightly differently. They may use a different pitch or different pattern, but this difference between species allows us to identify an individual down to species without having to capture it. This technique has also been used to discover several cryptic species. Cryptic species are species which look so much like another species, they're often classified as one. Usually after we have a hint that what we think is one species may actually be two, we're able to identify minute physical differences so we can describe the new species.
And while we're on the topic: not all bats echolocate (like flying foxes, for example), and most have very good eyesight.
So BATS. They're pretty fantastic; the only known flying mammal that's ever existed. They also have (I believe) the largest order of any mammal. They developed flight very early in their evolution, and not much has changed since then.
There are two primary ways to produce echolocation sounds: internal production with a modified larynx, and via tongue-clicking. Tongue-clicking is generally considered to be the more primitive method. However tongue-clicking bats have longer-range than other echolocating bats (most bats can only identify potential prey from 5m away or less).
What's really cool about echolocation is that every species does it slightly differently. They may use a different pitch or different pattern, but this difference between species allows us to identify an individual down to species without having to capture it. This technique has also been used to discover several cryptic species. Cryptic species are species which look so much like another species, they're often classified as one. Usually after we have a hint that what we think is one species may actually be two, we're able to identify minute physical differences so we can describe the new species.
And while we're on the topic: not all bats echolocate (like flying foxes, for example), and most have very good eyesight.