Flight Control
EUREKA!
[ NEW FINDINGS AND RESEARCH ]
Bat whiskers aid navigation.
Bats that eat nectar have specialized whiskers that help them hover in flight while they feed. The long, stiff hairs, known as vibrissae, face forward from their elongated muzzles in a brush-like formation that is not present in most other bats. Vibrissae provide added equilibrium and enable the bats to swoop in on a flower and feed quickly, minimizing risk from predators such as vipers. Eran Amichai, a postdoctoral researcher in biological sciences, led the study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.
