The role of olfaction and vision in the foraging behaviour of an echolocating megachiropteran fruit bat, Rousettus leschenaulti (Pteropodidae)

Raghuram, Hanumanthan; Thangadurai, Chinnathambi; Gopukumar, N.; Nathar, Kulam; Kandula, Sripathi

doi:10.1016/j.mambio.2008.02.008

Cited by 32 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…The refusal of E. wahlbergi individuals to feed on some invasive alien species offered to them indicates that they have strong preferences for the fruits on which they feed. Such preferences and how fruit bats discriminate and locate food, for example through olfaction (Elangovan et al 2006;Raghurm et al 2009), in a nocturnal environment should be further investigated and used as screening tools to identify potential bat-dispersed invasive alien fruits. To fully appreciate the role of fruit bats in seed dispersal and seedling recruitment, observations of their feeding behaviour must be combined with their movement patterns within and between various habitats.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wahlberg’s epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus wahlbergi) as a potential dispersal agent for fleshy-fruited invasive alien plants: effects of handling behaviour on seed germination

2011

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The spread of invasive alien plants into natural habitats is of growing global concern. Several studies have investigated the role that avian frugivores play in the dispersal of these seeds and their effects on germination success. Fruit bats have however received little attention as important dispersal agents of invasive alien plants, despite their recognized role as long distance dispersal agents of various native flora. We investigated whether Wahlberg's epauletted fruit bats, Epomophorus wahlbergi, would positively influence the germination of seeds of invasive alien plants. These fruit bats were fed fruits of four invasive alien plant species-Psidium guajava, Melia azedarach, Eriobotrya japonica, and Morus alba. Epomophorus wahlbergi were able to process more fruit per gram body mass than birds have been observed to do. Spat and de-pulped control seeds had similar germination success and germinated at approximately the same time for most species. While seeds retained in whole fruit had significantly less germination success than spat seeds for all species, except M. azedarach, they mostly germinated at approximately the same time.Epomophorus wahlbergi can swallow small seeds (\ 2 mm), while seeds larger than this are generally spat out. Large fruit are usually carried away to feeding roosts where seeds are dropped, thereby dispersing seeds and fruits which are too large for some bird species to ingest. Epomophorus wahlbergi should not be underestimated as dispersers of these invasive alien plants as they consume proportionally large amounts (0.62 ± 0.09 to 0.99 ± 0.11 g.g -1 body mass) of fruit, except for M. azedarach, and positively affect their seed germination rates.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wahlberg’s epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus wahlbergi) as a potential dispersal agent for fleshy-fruited invasive alien plants: effects of handling behaviour on seed germination

2011

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“…It was suggested that laryngeal echolocating bats use echolocation rather than vision as major means of perceiving their environment [19], [20], [21]. However, in addition to using olfaction [22], pteropodids without the ability of laryngeal echolocation presumably rely more on vision for orientation and finding food than other laryngeal echolocating bats. Thus it is also reasonable to hypothesize that positive selection may act on Myo6 in pteropodids, as species in this lineage use vision primarily for orientation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptive Evolution of the Myo6 Gene in Old World Fruit Bats (Family: Pteropodidae)

et al. 2013

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Myosin VI (encoded by the Myo6 gene) is highly expressed in the inner and outer hair cells of the ear, retina, and polarized epithelial cells such as kidney proximal tubule cells and intestinal enterocytes. The Myo6 gene is thought to be involved in a wide range of physiological functions such as hearing, vision, and clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Bats (Chiroptera) represent one of the most fascinating mammal groups for molecular evolutionary studies of the Myo6 gene. A diversity of specialized adaptations occur among different bat lineages, such as echolocation and associated high-frequency hearing in laryngeal echolocating bats, large eyes and a strong dependence on vision in Old World fruit bats (Pteropodidae), and specialized high-carbohydrate but low-nitrogen diets in both Old World and New World fruit bats (Phyllostomidae). To investigate what role(s) the Myo6 gene might fulfill in bats, we sequenced the coding region of the Myo6 gene in 15 bat species and used molecular evolutionary analyses to detect evidence of positive selection in different bat lineages. We also conducted real-time PCR assays to explore the expression levels of Myo6 in a range of tissues from three representative bat species. Molecular evolutionary analyses revealed that the Myo6 gene, which was widely considered as a hearing gene, has undergone adaptive evolution in the Old World fruit bats which lack laryngeal echolocation and associated high-frequency hearing. Real-time PCR showed the highest expression level of the Myo6 gene in the kidney among ten tissues examined in three bat species, indicating an important role for this gene in kidney function. We suggest that Myo6 has undergone adaptive evolution in Old World fruit bats in relation to receptor-mediated endocytosis for the preservation of protein and essential nutrients.

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“…Microbats and the non-echolocating fruit bats (Megachiroptera) share an evolutionary history with a unique adaptation to flight and longevity [Teeling et al, 2000;Shen et al, 2010;Wilkinson and South, 2002]. Fruit bats use olfactory and visual senses for spatial orientation and navigation [Hodgkison et al, 2007;Raghuram et al, 2009] and indeed, brain regions processing visual and olfactory information are proportionally larger in fruit bats compared to insectivore bats [Barton et al, 1995;Hutcheon et al, 2002]. Most interesting is that nectarand fruit-eating lifestyles evolved independently in microbats and fruit bats [Thies et al, 1998;Hutcheon et al, 2002;Hodgkison et al, 2007], leading to convergent clustering of brain proportions in species occupying similar niches [de Winter and Oxnard, 2001].…”

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confidence: 99%

Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Cortical Cellular Plasticity in Wahlberg’s Epauletted Fruit Bat: A Qualitative and Quantitative Study

et al. 2010

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Species-specific characteristics of neuronal plasticity emerging from comparative studies can address the functional relevance of hippocampal or cortical plasticity in the light of ecological adaptation and evolutionary history of a given species. Here, we present a quantitative and qualitative analysis of neurogenesis in young and adult free-living Wahlberg’s epauletted fruit bats. Using the markers for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), doublecortin (DCX) and polysialic acid neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM), our findings in the hippocampus, olfactory bulb and cortical regions are described and compared to reports in other mammals. Expressed as a percentage of the total number of granule cells, PCNA- and BrdU-positive cells accounted for 0.04 in young to 0.01% in adult animals; DCX-positive cells for 0.05 (young) to 0.01% (adult); PSA-NCAM-positive cells for 0.1 (young) to 0.02% (adult), and pyknotic cells for 0.007 (young) to 0.005% (adult). The numbers were comparable to other long-lived, late-maturing mammals such as primates. A significant increase in the total granule cell number from young to adult animals demonstrated the successful formation and integration of new cells. In adulthood, granule cell number appeared stable and was surprisingly low in comparison to other species. Observations in the olfactory bulb and rostral migratory stream were qualitatively similar to descriptions in other species. In the ventral horn of the lateral ventricle, we noted prominent expression of DCX and PSA-NCAM forming a temporal migratory stream targeting the piriform cortex, possibly reflecting the importance of olfaction to these species. Low, but persistent hippocampal neurogenesis in non-echolocating fruit bats contrasted the findings in echolocating microbats, in which hippocampal neurogenesis was largely absent. Together with the observed intense cortical plasticity in the olfactory system of fruit bats we suggest a differential influence of sensory modalities on hippocampal and cortical plasticity in this mammalian order.

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The role of olfaction and vision in the foraging behaviour of an echolocating megachiropteran fruit bat, Rousettus leschenaulti (Pteropodidae)

Cited by 32 publications

References 17 publications

Wahlberg’s epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus wahlbergi) as a potential dispersal agent for fleshy-fruited invasive alien plants: effects of handling behaviour on seed germination

Wahlberg’s epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus wahlbergi) as a potential dispersal agent for fleshy-fruited invasive alien plants: effects of handling behaviour on seed germination

Adaptive Evolution of the Myo6 Gene in Old World Fruit Bats (Family: Pteropodidae)

Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Cortical Cellular Plasticity in Wahlberg’s Epauletted Fruit Bat: A Qualitative and Quantitative Study

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