Insect-eating bats navigate effortlessly in the dark and dolphins and killer whales gobble up prey in murky waters thanks in part to specific changes in a set of 18 genes involved in the development of the cochlear ganglion — a group of nerves that transmit sound from the ear to the brain, according to a study by researchers at Stanford University.
Insect-eating bats navigate effortlessly in the dark and dolphins and killer whales gobble up prey in murky waters thanks in part to specific changes in a set of 18 genes involved in the development of the cochlear ganglion — a group of nerves that transmit sound from the ear to the brain, according to a study by researchers at Stanford University.
Surprisingly, these very different species evolved their unique ability to use sound waves to navigate and identify obstacles and tasty morsels, be they mosquito or minnow, in part by acquiring identical mutations in their genomes — mutations not shared by other, more closely related species like humpback whales, which patiently sieve the ocean for krill, or fruit bats, which seek stationary, yummy-smelling snacks.
The discovery solves a long-standing biological debate as to whether echolocating bats and whales have independently undergone many similar genomic changes “under the hood” to accomplish the same goal. It also opens the door to understanding more about the molecular basis for human disorders as varied as deafness, skin lesions caused by high cholesterol, and altitude sickness, the researchers said.
Read more at Stanford University
Image by JamesDeMers from Pixabay
