Projects per year
Abstract
An evolutionary war is being played out between the bat, which uses ultrasonic calls to locate insect prey, and the moth, which uses microscale ears to listen for the approaching bat. While the highest known frequency of bat echolocation calls is 212 kHz, the upper limit of moth hearing is considered much lower. Here, we show that the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella, is capable of hearing ultrasonic frequencies approaching 300 kHz; the highest frequency sensitivity of any animal. With auditory frequency sensitivity that is unprecedented in the animal kingdom, the greater wax moth is ready and armed for any echolocation call adaptations made by the bat in the on-going bat–moth evolutionary war.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 20130241 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Biology Letters |
Volume | 9 |
Issue number | 4 |
Early online date | 8 May 2013 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 23 Aug 2013 |
Keywords
- bioacoustics
- hearing
- laser Doppler vibrometry
- electrophysiology
- tympanal organ
- Galleria mellonella
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'Extremely high frequency sensitivity in a 'simple' ear'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 4 Finished
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The Mechanics of Insect Audition: Characterisation, Modelling and Application
Windmill, J. (Principal Investigator)
BBSRC (Biotech & Biological Sciences Research Council)
26/07/10 → 25/07/13
Project: Research
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POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP - INVESTIGATIONS INTO ACTIVE BIOLOGICAL CELLULAR SENSOR ARRAYS AS INSPIRATION FOR ENGINEERED NONLINEAR SENSORS
Jackson, J. (Fellow)
EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council)
1/04/10 → 31/03/13
Project: Research Fellowship
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ULTRASONIC RECEPTION IN INSECT EARS - CREATING A NEW GENERATION OF ULTRASOUND TRANSDUCERS
Windmill, J. (Principal Investigator)
6/04/09 → 31/03/10
Project: Research
Datasets
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Data from: "Extremely high frequency sensitivity in a ‘simple’ ear"
Moir, H. M. (Creator), Jackson, J. C. (Creator) & Windmill, J. F. C. (Creator), Dryad, 1 Feb 2023
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.3053g
Dataset
Activities
- 2 Media Participation
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Sensor of the Week: The mighty moth
Windmill, J. (Interviewee)
3 Apr 2018Activity: Public Engagement and Outreach › Media Participation
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Live TV interview for BBC World Service 'Global' programme
Windmill, J. (Interviewee)
9 May 2013Activity: Public Engagement and Outreach › Media Participation