Uploaded December 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Convergent evolution has resulted in some amazing biological abilities appearing multiple times in unrelated animal lineages, and echolocation is a great example of this. Bats and whales are the most famous examples, but echolocation has also evolved on many more occasions!
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Music by Geographer
Sources:
Bats:
journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0283505
science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1108871
science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1105113
nature.com/articles/nature06549
nature.com/articles/nature09219
nature.com/articles/nature08737
cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(23)01289-7?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982223012897%3Fshowall%3Dtrue
digitallibrary.amnh.org/items/be7ab96a-3035-493c-b6b1-6058d677a344
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC122208
link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00359-003-0406-2
cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(14)01425-0?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982214014250%3Fshowall%3Dtrue
journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/207/25/4361/15115/Echolocation-signal-structure-in-the
cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(20)31895-9?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982220318959%3Fshowall%3Dtrue
nature.com/articles/s41586-021-04335-z
nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2486-3
nature.com/articles/s41559-016-0021
Cetaceans:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/(SICI)1097-4687(199606)228:3%3C223::AID-JMOR1%3E3.0.CO;2-3?casa_token=aJkZMqCL2EIAAAAA:XWKpu6K_4iGFUaLX_9Dh8SaHO9hzR2m6QXqHRaV2uPMtya_I7-8w6EvJMX8C79EjEGjwBeWr08d2gMs
mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/11/1154
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2019.0083
academic.oup.com/biolinnean/article/126/2/213/5244783?login=false
link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4612-2784-7_44
nature.com/articles/nature13086
Tenrecs:
jstor.org/stable/986137
link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10162-002-3043-5
ecoevoblog.com/2014/03/28/echolocating-tenrecs
Shrews:
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2009.0378
academic.oup.com/jmammal/article-abstract/60/4/751/877314?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7262541
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jez.1401560103
Solenodons:
https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/11117/852c052c-5dae-4f82-bfbe-8037bb6c8f0d.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
academic.oup.com/mspecies/article/47/927/100/2609399
Hedgehogs:
researchgate.net/profile/Jeanette-Thomas/publication/258835904_Review_of_echolocation_in_insectivores_and_rodents/links/0c9605390b18a73332000000/Review-of-echolocation-in-insectivores-and-rodents.pdf
wildlifeonline.me.uk/animals/article/european-hedgehog-senses
Rodents:
science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aay1513
Primates:
academic.oup.com/gbe/article/9/7/1978/4037174
zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jzo.13034
sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378595514000185?via%3Dihub
psychologicalscience.org/observer/using-sound-to-get-around?pdf=true
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2013.1428
journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0252330
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_echolocation
Birds:
frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2013.00123/full
jstor.org/stable/2388791?origin=crossref
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1474-919X.2005.00467.x
academic.oup.com/biolinnean/article/88/4/631/2691634?login=false
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1055790305001843?via%3Dihub
Hyopsodus:
journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0030000
tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08912963.2014.915823
Echolocation defences:
science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aar7428
science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1174096
pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.0804408105
journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0152981
jstor.org/stable/3495006?origin=crossref
journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/215/24/4278/11176/Sonar-jamming-in-the-field-effectiveness-and
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_echolocation
0:00 - Introduction
1:44 - Bats
11:20 - Whales
17:23 - Tenrecs
18:43 - Shrews
19:40 - Solenodons
20:23 - Hedgehogs?
20:55 - Rodents
21:49 - Primates
25:03 - Birds
27:21 - Extinct Examples
29:02 - Echolocation Defences
30:49 - Outro
Convergent evolution has resulted in some amazing biological abilities appearing multiple times in unrelated animal lineages, and echolocation is a great example of this. Bats and whales are the most famous examples, but echolocation has also evolved on many more occasions!
Become a Member today!: youtube.com/channel/UCDSzwZqgtJEnUzacq3ddoOQ/join
Join our Discord server: discord.gg/jTsGYtRBHZ
Follow us on Instagram: bit.ly/1PIEagv
Music by Geographer
Sources:
Bats:
journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0283505
science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1108871
science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1105113
nature.com/articles/nature06549
nature.com/articles/nature09219
nature.com/articles/nature08737
cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(23)01289-7?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982223012897%3Fshowall%3Dtrue
digitallibrary.amnh.org/items/be7ab96a-3035-493c-b6b1-6058d677a344
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC122208
link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00359-003-0406-2
cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(14)01425-0?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982214014250%3Fshowall%3Dtrue
journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/207/25/4361/15115/Echolocation-signal-structure-in-the
cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(20)31895-9?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982220318959%3Fshowall%3Dtrue
nature.com/articles/s41586-021-04335-z
nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2486-3
nature.com/articles/s41559-016-0021
Cetaceans:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/(SICI)1097-4687(199606)228:3%3C223::AID-JMOR1%3E3.0.CO;2-3?casa_token=aJkZMqCL2EIAAAAA:XWKpu6K_4iGFUaLX_9Dh8SaHO9hzR2m6QXqHRaV2uPMtya_I7-8w6EvJMX8C79EjEGjwBeWr08d2gMs
mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/11/1154
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2019.0083
academic.oup.com/biolinnean/article/126/2/213/5244783?login=false
link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4612-2784-7_44
nature.com/articles/nature13086
Tenrecs:
jstor.org/stable/986137
link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10162-002-3043-5
ecoevoblog.com/2014/03/28/echolocating-tenrecs
Shrews:
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2009.0378
academic.oup.com/jmammal/article-abstract/60/4/751/877314?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7262541
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jez.1401560103
Solenodons:
https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/11117/852c052c-5dae-4f82-bfbe-8037bb6c8f0d.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
academic.oup.com/mspecies/article/47/927/100/2609399
Hedgehogs:
researchgate.net/profile/Jeanette-Thomas/publication/258835904_Review_of_echolocation_in_insectivores_and_rodents/links/0c9605390b18a73332000000/Review-of-echolocation-in-insectivores-and-rodents.pdf
wildlifeonline.me.uk/animals/article/european-hedgehog-senses
Rodents:
science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aay1513
Primates:
academic.oup.com/gbe/article/9/7/1978/4037174
zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jzo.13034
sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378595514000185?via%3Dihub
psychologicalscience.org/observer/using-sound-to-get-around?pdf=true
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2013.1428
journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0252330
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_echolocation
Birds:
frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2013.00123/full
jstor.org/stable/2388791?origin=crossref
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1474-919X.2005.00467.x
academic.oup.com/biolinnean/article/88/4/631/2691634?login=false
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1055790305001843?via%3Dihub
Hyopsodus:
journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0030000
tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08912963.2014.915823
Echolocation defences:
science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aar7428
science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1174096
pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.0804408105
journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0152981
jstor.org/stable/3495006?origin=crossref
journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/215/24/4278/11176/Sonar-jamming-in-the-field-effectiveness-and
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_echolocation
0:00 - Introduction
1:44 - Bats
11:20 - Whales
17:23 - Tenrecs
18:43 - Shrews
19:40 - Solenodons
20:23 - Hedgehogs?
20:55 - Rodents
21:49 - Primates
25:03 - Birds
27:21 - Extinct Examples
29:02 - Echolocation Defences
30:49 - Outro
