Two groups of animals, bats and odontocetes (toothed whales), have independently developed the ability to orient and detect prey by biosonar (echolocation). This active mechanism of orientation allows these animals to operate under low light conditions. Biosonar is a conceptual overview of what is known about biosonar in bats and odontocetes. Chapters are written by bat and odontocetes experts, resulting in collaborations that not only examine data on both animals, but also compare and contrast mechanisms. Biosonar provides a unique insight that will help improve our understanding of biosonar in both animal groups.
- Introduction and Overview
- Sonar Signals of Bats and Toothed Whales
- Production of Biosonar Signals: Structure and Form
- Sound Intensities of Biosonar Signals From Bats and Toothed Whales
- Hearing During Echolocation in Whales and Bats
- Localization and Classification of Targets by Echolocating Bats and Dolphins
- On-Animal Methods for Studying Echolocation in Free-Ranging Animals
- Analysis of Natural Scenes by Echolocation in Bats and Dolphins
- Echolocation in Air and Water
"This high quality textbook is probably the best available currently on biosonar. This work should be helpful to researchers in hearing of marine life and bats. The biology of these creatures is well written. Students, fellows, established and novice physiologists can all benefit from this."
– Joseph J. Grenier, Amazon.com, April, 2016