We present a study of the aeromechanics of highly compliant structures in the context of animal flight, with special attention paid to bat flight. Bats …
The mammalian forelimb is primarily used for locomotion. In bats, the arm, forearm, and hand anatomy are adapted to support flight by forming a wing, …
Pseudogymnoascus destructans is the invasive fungal pathogen responsible for White-Nose Syndrome (WNS), a devastating disease affecting North American bats. WNS has led to the loss …
It is widely assumed that differences in wing morphology among bat species are reflected by interspecific differences in flight performance, and consequently, in the way …
Unlike birds and insects, bats fly using compliant and slender membrane wings. Membrane wings offer negligible bending stiffness, and thus when they experience aerodynamic load, …
In many flying bats there is a unique anatomical structure present in the foot that is thought to facilitate bats' roosting behavior of hanging upside …
The environments in which animals live are complex and disruptive. These qualities contrast with the steady, smooth, and stereotyped movements that comprise foundational studies in …
Echolocating bats form an acoustic image of their world derived from echoes of their emitted sounds. In their natural environment, bats must avoid interfering clutter …
Flying organisms are capable of a wide variety of flight behaviors, including flying at a range of speeds, maneuvering to catch prey, carrying weight, hovering, …
Bats are extremely agile flyers and their agility is made possible by both sensory and musculoskeletal adaptations, including echolocation, their muscle-actuated, many-jointed wings, and the …