Self-organized spectral adjustment in echolocation sounds within group-flying bats.
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Systems Function and Morphology, University of Toyama , Toyama, Japan.
- 2Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University , Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
- 3Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University , Nagoya, Japan.
- 4Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University , Kyoto, Japan.
- 5Meiji Institute for Advanced Study of Mathematical Sciences, Meiji University - Nakano Campus , Nakano, Tokyo, Japan.
Abstract
Self-organized behaviour has been extensively studied in group dynamics in animals, with a strong focus on movement coordination in species like fish and birds. By contrast, far less attention has been paid to vocal interactions within animal groups. Here, we unveil a self-organized vocal behaviour in echolocating bats (Miniopterus fuliginosus), characterized by their adaptive responses to jamming stimuli. Using controlled playback experiments, we identified a mathematical model that describes how bats autonomously adjust their vocal frequencies to avoid signal interference mimicking group echolocation. The model was subsequently extended to simulate a group of bats flying in two-dimensional space. Consistent with previous observations of group-flying bats, the simulation revealed frequency-adjusting behaviour, characterized by an overall increase in frequency differences within the group. Crucially, we demonstrated that this behaviour reduces potential misdetections during echolocation, enhancing group-wide sensory accuracy. These results reveal a mechanism of conflict resolution through self-organized vocal adjustment and establish a parallel with other self-organizing systems in nature. Our findings reveal that this frequency-adjusting behaviour represents a self-organized vocal behaviour that effectively mitigates conflicts within a group, one achieved via simple behavioural rules, as in other types of collective animal behaviour.
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BibTeX
@article{hase2026selforganized,
title = {{Self-organized spectral adjustment in echolocation sounds within group-flying bats.}},
author = {Kazuma Hase and Tasuku Miyazaki and Seiya Oka and Noriyoshi Senoo and Hiraku Nishimori and Masashi Shiraishi and Ken Yoda and Kohta I Kobayasi and Shizuko Hiryu},
journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1098/rspb.2026.0921},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42869478},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Self-organized spectral adjustment in echolocation sounds within group-flying bats.
AU - Kazuma Hase
AU - Tasuku Miyazaki
AU - Seiya Oka
AU - Noriyoshi Senoo
AU - Hiraku Nishimori
AU - Masashi Shiraishi
AU - Ken Yoda
AU - Kohta I Kobayasi
AU - Shizuko Hiryu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Proceedings. Biological sciences
DO - 10.1098/rspb.2026.0921
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42869478
AB - Self-organized behaviour has been extensively studied in group dynamics in animals, with a strong focus on movement coordination in species like fish and birds. By contrast, far less attention has been paid to vocal interactions within animal groups. Here, we unveil a self-organized vocal behaviour in echolocating bats (Miniopterus fuliginosus), characterized by their adaptive responses to jamming stimuli. Using controlled playback experiments, we identified a mathematical model that describes how bats autonomously adjust their vocal frequencies to avoid signal interference mimicking group echolocation. The model was subsequently extended to simulate a group of bats flying in two-dimensional space. Consistent with previous observations of group-flying bats, the simulation revealed frequency-adjusting behaviour, characterized by an overall increase in frequency differences within the group. Crucially, we demonstrated that this behaviour reduces potential misdetections during echolocation, enhancing group-wide sensory accuracy. These results reveal a mechanism of conflict resolution through self-organized vocal adjustment and establish a parallel with other self-organizing systems in nature. Our findings reveal that this frequency-adjusting behaviour represents a self-organized vocal behaviour that effectively mitigates conflicts within a group, one achieved via simple behavioural rules, as in other types of collective animal behaviour.
SN - 0962-8452
SN - 1471-2954
ER -