Inflight head stabilization associated with wingbeat cycle and sonar emissions in the lingual echolocating Egyptian fruit bat, Rousettus aegyptiacus

Abstract

Sensory processing of environmental stimuli is challenged by head movements that perturb sensorimotor coordinate frames directing behaviors. In the case of visually-guided behaviors, visual gaze stabilization results from the integrated activity of the vestibuloocular reflex and motor efference copy originating within circuits driving locomotor behavior. In the present investigation it was hypothesized that head stabilization is broadly implemented in echolocating bats during sustained flight, and is temporally associated with emitted sonar signals which would optimize acoustic gaze. Predictions from these hypotheses were evaluated by measuring head and body kinematics with motion sensors attached to the head and body of free-flying Egyptian fruit bats. These devices were integrated with ultrasonic microphones to record sonar emissions and