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Jones PL, Divoll TJ, Dixon MM, Aparicio D, Cohen G, Mueller UG, Ryan MJ, Page RA. Sensory ecology of the frog-eating bat, Trachops cirrhosus, from DNA metabarcoding and behavior. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Metabarcoding of prey DNA from fecal samples can be used to design behavioral experiments to study the foraging behavior and sensory ecology of predators. The frog-eating bat, Trachops cirrhosus, eavesdrops on the mating calls of its anuran prey. We captured wild T. cirrhosus and identified prey remains in the bats’ fecal samples using DNA metabarcoding of two gene regions (CO1 and 16S). Bats were preying on frogs previously unknown in their diet, such as species in the genus Pristimantis, which occurred in 29% of T. cirrhosus samples. Twenty-three percent of samples also contained DNA of Anolis lizards. We additionally report apparently rare predation events on hummingbirds and heterospecific bats. We used results from metabarcoding to design acoustic and 3D model stimuli to present to bats in behavioral experiments. We show predatory responses by T. cirrhosus to the calls of the frog Pristimantis taeniatus and to the rustling sounds of anoles moving through leaf-litter, as well as attacks on a stuffed hummingbird and a plastic anole model. The combination of species-specific dietary information from metabarcoding analyses with behavioral responses to prey cues provides a unique window into the foraging ecology of predators that are difficult to observe in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Timothy J Divoll
- Technology Solutions, SWCA Environmental Consultants, 15 Research Dr, Amherst, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Center for Bat Research, Outreach, and Conservation, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, USA
| | - M May Dixon
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Dineilys Aparicio
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Apartado Postal, Panamá
| | - Gregg Cohen
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Apartado Postal, Panamá
| | - Ulrich G Mueller
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Michael J Ryan
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Apartado Postal, Panamá
| | - Rachel A Page
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Apartado Postal, Panamá
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Dixon MM, Hulgard K, Ratcliffe JM, Page RA. Habituation and ecological salience: insights into the foraging ecology of the fringed-lipped bat, Trachops cirrhosus. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2700-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Fugère V, Teague O’Mara M, Page RA. Perceptual bias does not explain preference for prey call adornment in the frog-eating bat. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-1949-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Morrison JA, Farzan F, Fremouw T, Sayegh R, Covey E, Faure PA. Organization and trade-off of spectro-temporal tuning properties of duration-tuned neurons in the mammalian inferior colliculus. J Neurophysiol 2014; 111:2047-60. [PMID: 24572091 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00850.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons throughout the mammalian central auditory pathway respond selectively to stimulus frequency and amplitude, and some are also selective for stimulus duration. First found in the auditory midbrain or inferior colliculus (IC), these duration-tuned neurons (DTNs) provide a potential neural mechanism for encoding temporal features of sound. In this study, we investigated how having an additional neural response filter, one selective to the duration of an auditory stimulus, influences frequency tuning and neural organization by recording single-unit responses and measuring the dorsal-ventral position and spectral-temporal tuning properties of auditory DTNs from the IC of the awake big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus). Like other IC neurons, DTNs were tonotopically organized and had either V-shaped, U-shaped, or O-shaped frequency tuning curves (excitatory frequency response areas). We hypothesized there would be an interaction between frequency and duration tuning in DTNs, as electrical engineering theory for resonant filters dictates a trade-off in spectral-temporal resolution: sharp tuning in the frequency domain results in poorer resolution in the time domain and vice versa. While the IC is a more complex signal analyzer than an electrical filter, a similar operational trade-off could exist in the responses of DTNs. Our data revealed two patterns of spectro-temporal sensitivity and spatial organization within the IC: DTNs with sharp frequency tuning and broad duration tuning were located in the dorsal IC, whereas cells with wide spectral tuning and narrow temporal tuning were found in the ventral IC.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Morrison
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Faranak Farzan
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Thane Fremouw
- Department of Psychology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine; and
| | - Riziq Sayegh
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ellen Covey
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Paul A Faure
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada;
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