Press release issued 19 December 2006Current understanding of
the co-evolution of bats and moths has been thrown into question
following new research reported in Current Biology. Dr James
Windmill from the 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 remain tuned in for several minutes after the calls
stop. Dr Windmill said: "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." It has been known for over 50
years that moths