Science's understanding of the co-evolution of bats and moths has been thrown into question as a result of new British research.
James Windmill of University of Bristol has shown how the Yellow Underwing moth changes its sensitivity to a bat's calls when the moth is being chased. And, in case there is another attack, the moth's ear remains tuned in for several minutes after the calls stop.
Said Windmill: "Because the moth cleverly tunes its ear to enhance its detection of bats, we must now question whether the bat in turn modifies its calls to avoid detection by the moth. In view of the vast diversity of bat calls, this is only to be expected.
"To date, this phenomenon has not been reported for insects or, in fact, for any other hearing system in the animal kingdom. These findings change our understanding of the co-evolution of bats and moths and have implications for the hearing of many other animals."
The research appears in the latest issue of the journal Current Biology.
