Yossi Yovel’s Groundbreaking Research in Neuroecology of Bat Communication
Yossi Yovel is an associate professor at Tel Aviv University (TAU), holding positions in both the School of Zoology and the School of Neuroscience. He has a B.Sc. in Physics and Biology and an M.Sc. in Neuroscience from TAU, as well as a Ph.D. in Biological Cybernetics from the University of Tübingen in Germany, where he utilized machine learning to classify bio-sonar echoes. Yovel conducted postdoctoral research at the Weizmann Institute of Science and the University of Chicago before becoming a faculty member at TAU.
Yovel leads the Bio-sonar Laboratory at TAU, which focuses on the study of bat bio-sonar and its potential applications in robotics. The lab uses state-of-the-art audio and video recording technologies and has pioneered the development of the smallest miniature sensors for field studies on echolocating bats. His research combines Neuroecology, a field that merges Neuroscience and Ecology, to perform controlled experiments in natural environments.
Yovel has published over 30 peer-reviewed papers and has received prestigious awards such as the Alon Scholarship and the Krill Prize. His research primarily investigates the vocalizations of Egyptian fruit bats. Over several months, Yovel and his team recorded and analyzed the sounds of these bats, uncovering that their calls can convey extensive information about the caller’s identity, surroundings, behavioral responses, and social interactions. They developed a comprehensive database documenting the vocal development of bat pups from birth to adulthood under various conditions, providing significant insights into social vocal communication in mammals.
How did you come to specialise in neuroecology? Can you tell us about your path into this field? What sparked your interest in the sensory systems of bats?
I studied physics and biology as an undergrad and was interested in an animal model that combines both. I read about bat echolocation and was fascinated. I was also enchanted by the lectures in neuroscience and all together this led me to expertise on bats.
What have been some of the most significant milestones in your research career so far? How do bats’ sensory systems compare to those of other mammals in terms of complexity and function?
There are many studies I can mention. Here are a few examples — 1. We reared bat pups in helium and found that their brain encodes an innate speed of sound. 2. We showed that bats can translate echolocation perception to vision.
Many people think that all bats feed on blood, but there are over 1200 different species, including many fruit bats. Which species have you studied over the years?
There are neary 1500 species and we studied about 20. I like to say that the great thing about bats is their diversity. For almost any behaviour you are interested in there is a bat to study.
What are some of the primary methods and technologies you use in your research on bat sensing? Can you tell us about any innovative techniques you have used to study the neural mechanisms in bats?
The main innovation of our lab are miniature sensors that can be mounted on the bat and include gps, microphone, eeg, acceleration and more.
Bats use echolocation to orient themselves in space, but they also learn to recognize each other’s voices for communication. What can you tell us about this ability?
This is true. Bats use sound both for sensing and communication. We would love to know more on how their brains do both, but still don’t know much.
The bat’s brain shares similarities with the human brain. Since bats communicate with each other, do they have a social nature?
It depends on the species. But some species are extremely social roosting together for dozens of years. Some bats live in a harem structure and some like vampires show altruistic behaviour.
Read the full interview with Yossi Novel about bat communication at Retrofuturista.com
