For bats and dolphins, hearing gene prestin adapted for echolocation
Friday, August 1, 2014 - 09:31
in Biology & Nature
A little over a decade ago, prestin was found to be a key gene responsible for hearing in mammals. A new study has shown that prestin has also independently evolved to play a critical role in the ultrasonic hearing range of animal sonar, or echolocation, to help dolphins navigate through murky waters or bats find food in the dark.