(May 2, 2015) Bats
are masters of flight in the night sky, capable of steep nosedives and sharp
turns that put our best aircrafts to shame. Although the role of echolocation
in bats’ impressive midair maneuvering has been extensively studied, the
contribution of touch has been largely overlooked. A study published April 30
in Cell Reports shows, for the first time, that a unique array of sensory
receptors in the wing provides feedback to a bat during flight. The findings
also suggest that neurons in the bat brain respond to incoming airflow and
touch signals, triggering rapid adjustments in wing position to optimize flight
control.