Hear, hear: the convergent evolution of echolocation in bats?

The evolutionary history of laryngeal echolocation is controversial, and little is known about the molecular mechanisms that underlie this sense. A recent paper by Li and colleagues is one of the first studies to identify and sequence a gene involved in echolocation in bats – Prestin, the so-called...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Trends in ecology & evolution (Amsterdam) 2009-07, Vol.24 (7), p.351-354
Main Author: Teeling, Emma C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Biological Evolution
Chiroptera - genetics
Chiroptera - physiology
Echolocation - physiology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution
Hearing - genetics
Hearing - physiology
Mammalia
Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution
Vocalization, Animal - physiology
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Summary:The evolutionary history of laryngeal echolocation is controversial, and little is known about the molecular mechanisms that underlie this sense. A recent paper by Li and colleagues is one of the first studies to identify and sequence a gene involved in echolocation in bats – Prestin, the so-called mammalian hearing gene. Phylogenetic analyses show evidence for positive selection acting on this gene in the echolocating lineages and support the convergent evolution of laryngeal echolocation in bats.
ISSN:0169-5347
1872-8383
DOI:10.1016/j.tree.2009.02.012