Echolocating bats show species-specific variation in susceptibility to acoustic forward masking

Abstract

Echolocating bats rely on precise auditory temporal processing to detect echoes generated by calls that may be emitted at rates reaching 150–200 Hz. High call rates can introduce forward masking perceptual effects that interfere with echo detection; however, bats may have evolved specializations to prevent repetition suppression of auditory responses and facilitate detection of sounds separated by brief intervals. Recovery of the auditory brainstem response (ABR) was assessed in two species that differ in the temporal characteristics of their echolocation behaviors: Eptesicus fuscus, which uses high call rates to capture prey, and Carollia perspicillata, which uses lower call rates to avoid obstacles and forage for fruit. We observed significant species differences in the effects of forward masking on ABR wave 1, in which E. fuscus maintained comparable ABR wave 1 amplitudes when stimulated at intervals of <3 ms, whereas post-stimulus recovery in C. perspicillata required 12 ms. When the intensity of the second stimulus was reduced by 20–30 dB relative to the first, however, C. perspicillata showed greater recovery of wave 1 amplitudes. The results demonstrate that species differences in temporal resolution are established at early levels of the auditory pathway and that these differences reflect auditory processing requirements of species-specific echolocation behaviors.