Cryptic hybridization between the ancient lineages of Natterer's bat (Myotis nattereri).

Studying hybrid zones that form between morphologically cryptic taxa offers valuable insights into the mechanisms of cryptic speciation and the evolution of reproductive barriers. Although hybrid zones have long been the focus of evolutionary studies, the awareness of cryptic hybrid zones increased recently due to rapidly growing evidence of biological diversity lacking obvious phenotypic differentiation. The characterization of cryptic hybrid zones with genome-wide analysis is in its early stages and offers new perspectives for studying population admixture and thus the impact of gene flow.

Immune-challenged vampire bats produce fewer contact calls.

Vocalizations are an important means to facilitate social interactions, but vocal communication may be affected by infections. While such effects have been shown for mate-attraction calls, other vocalizations that facilitate social contact have received less attention. When isolated, vampire bats produce contact calls that attract highly associated groupmates.

Vampire Bats that Cooperate in the Lab Maintain Their Social Networks in the Wild.

Social bonds, maintained by mutual investments of time and energy, have greatly influenced the evolution of social cognition and cooperation in many species [e.g., 1-8].

Automated proximity sensing in small vertebrates: design of miniaturized sensor nodes and first field tests in bats.

Social evolution has led to a stunning diversity of complex social behavior, in particular in vertebrate taxa. Thorough documentation of social interactions is crucial to study the causes and consequences of sociality in gregarious animals. Wireless digital transceivers represent a promising tool to revolutionize data collection for the study of social interactions in terms of the degree of automation, data quantity, and quality.