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Organization of the primary somatosensory cortex and wing representation in the Big Brown Bat, Eptesicus fuscus

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Abstract

Bats are the only mammals capable of true powered flight. The bat wing exhibits specializations, allowing these animals to perform complicated flight maneuvers like landing upside-down, and hovering. The wing membrane contains various tactile receptors, including hair-associated Merkel receptors that might be involved in stabilizing bat flight. Here, we studied the neuronal representation of the wing membrane in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) of the anesthetized Big Brown Bat, Eptesicus fuscus, using tactile stimulation with calibrated monofilaments (von Frey hairs) while recording from multi-neuron clusters. We also measured cortical response thresholds to tactile stimulation of the wings.The body surface is mapped topographically across the surface of S1, with the head, foot, and wing being overrepresented. The orientation of the wing representation is rotated compared to the hand representaion of terrestrial mammals, confirming results from other bat species. Although different wing membrane parts derive embryologically from different body parts, including the flank (plagiopatagium), the tactile sensitivity of the entire flight membrane (0.2–1.2 mN) is remarkably close or even higher (dactylopatagium) than the average tactile sensitivity of the human fingertip.

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Abbreviations

D1–5:

Digit 1–5

IFM:

Interfemoral membrane

S1:

Primary somatosensory cortex

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Acknowledgments

This study was sponsored by Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), MURI grant “Bio-inspired flight for micro-air vehicles”. Data collected under research protocol, “Somatosensory signaling for flight control,” approved by the University of Maryland Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. We thank John Zook for his advice in planning these studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA

    M. Chadha & C. F. Moss

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA

    M. Chadha & C. F. Moss

  3. Institute for Systems Research, University of Maryland, A.V. Williams Building (115), College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    C. F. Moss & S. J. Sterbing-D’Angelo

Authors
  1. M. Chadha
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  2. C. F. Moss
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  3. S. J. Sterbing-D’Angelo
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Correspondence to S. J. Sterbing-D’Angelo.

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Chadha, M., Moss, C.F. & Sterbing-D’Angelo, S.J. Organization of the primary somatosensory cortex and wing representation in the Big Brown Bat, Eptesicus fuscus . J Comp Physiol A 197, 89–96 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-010-0590-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-010-0590-9

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