Study Unravels key behind Bat’s Superpowers!
On a calm summer's night outside, you could notice some black shadows fluttering around or hear some high-pitched chirps if you pay close attention. Yes, you most likely guessed correctly. The bats in question are beginning their 'day' and preparing for a satisfying meal. Bats represent around 20% of all extant animal species, with more than 1,400 species now recognized. Bats are omnipresent throughout the world and successfully inhabit a broad variety of ecological niches. Due to their astonishing array of adaptations, which include vocal learning, powered flight, echolocation, and an immune system unique to them, bats are probably able to tolerate infections like the coronavirus and Ebola virus that are lethal to other animals on a worldwide scale. Bats are therefore useful model systems for studies on extended lifespans, enhanced immunity to disease, vocal communication, and sensory perception.
Superpower 1: The only mammal with flight!
BATS are mammals, much like humans, dogs, and cats. They have fur, and warm blood, and nurse their young with milk. Bats are the only mammals that can fly, not humans like you and me! And their flying ability surpasses that of birds! Due to their flexible wings, bats may travel in a wide variety of directions. They use less energy and offer more lift.
Superpower 2: They can be upside down!
It is possible for bats to sleep or even hibernate while hanging upside down without risk of falling. During the day, bats rest or roost. They may be found roosting in trees, caves, barns, or beneath bridges in groups of hundreds or thousands, all hanging upside down. Then why not the other way around? Bats wouldn't be able to take flight if they were hanging by their thumbs. However, by hanging upside down, they have a clear perspective for seeing and hearing before takeoff and may extend their wings in preparation for takeoff.
Superpower No. 3: Echolocation
Bats often don't consume blood. They consume insects. plenty and plenty of insects. Between 600 and 1,000 may be consumed by one bat in an hour! Bats hunt during the night and when in midair. How then can they locate these little insects in the dark without running into anything? Bats use echoes to locate food and liquids. A bat produces loud, high-pitched screams when it flies that are inaudible to most people. The information they learn about what lies ahead, such as the size, shape, and direction of an insect, comes from the echoes they hear from their yells. We refer to this as echolocation.
The Bat1K consortium ~
Bat1K is an initiative to sequence the genomes of all living bat species to chromosome-level assembly. Bats represent approximately 1,400 species in total the largest order of mammals The main goal of the consortium is to uncover the molecular basis behind the unusual and fascinating adaptations of bats e.g. extreme longevity, echolocation, unique immunity, contracted genomes, and vocal learning. Researchers from University College Dublin, the Max Planck Institutes of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (Dresden), and the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (Nijmegen) led the Bat1K consortium, which produced and analyzed six highly accurate bat genomes that are ten times more complete than any bat genome that has been published to date to identify the distinctive traits of bats.
Coining the term Genome ~ The genome is the entire set of DNA instructions found in a cell.
Uncovering the Methodology ~
The study's co-author, Professor Aris Katzourakis, claims that their research validates long-standing relationships between bats and complex retroviruses—a class of viruses that includes those that cause leukemias and immunodeficiencies. It is uncommon for these viruses to have internal origins of genesis, yet research shows that bats have carried them throughout their evolutionary history. Furthermore, the scientists employed the most recent technological advancements in Dresden to sequence the bat's DNA, create new techniques for putting the pieces together in the right order, and determine which genes were present to create these magnificent bat genomes. The team conducted a systematic search for gene differences between bats and other mammals to uncover genomic changes that may have contributed to the unique adaptations found in bats. This search identified regions of the genome that have evolved differently in bats as well as the loss and gain of genes that may be responsible for bats' unique traits.
Findings and Outcomes of the Study ~
By using echolocation to hunt and navigate in total darkness, bats can detect changes in their environment. Genome scans have identified these variations in hearing genes.
They observed the loss of genes linked to inflammation in bats, increase of antiviral genes, and distinct selection of immune genes. The remarkable immunity of bats and their apparent tolerance to coronaviruses may be attributed to these alterations. Bats are also established carriers of various strains of coronavirus – but they don’t seem to get sick. Why? ~ we have some certainty of answers here in this domain.
Additionally, the researchers discovered evidence that the genomes of bats exhibit viral tolerance. The beautiful genomes demonstrated that bat genomes were more diverse than other species, indicating a genetic history of resistance to viral infection. They also detected "fossilized viruses," which are signs of having survived previous viral infections.
One of the most contentious evolutionary issues of all time has been where bats fit into the mammalian tree of life. They have evaluated an extensive dataset from 48 high-quality mammalian genomes using cutting-edge phylogenetic techniques. This long-standing debate was settled when they discovered compelling evidence indicating bats are most closely related to the group of mammals known as "Fereuungulata," which includes carnivores (such as dogs, cats, and seals), whales, pangolins, and hoofed mammals.
Takeaway From the Study ~
To address the evolutionary history and genetic basis of bat adaptations and biology, this study offers a wealth of resources. For instance, many scientists now think that, as a result of this study's findings, bat genomes serve as valuable resources for further research on the adaptation of bats to coronavirus infections. All in all, this offers ways to improve human survival. This is only the start. The surviving about 1400 extant bat species display remarkable variety in terms of ecology, lifespan, sensory perception, and immunology. However, there are still many unanswered issues about the chromosomal foundation of these remarkable traits. As more and more exquisite bat genomes are sequenced, Bat1K will provide answers to these issues and help reveal the genetic underpinnings of the amazing and unusual talents of bats. The Max Planck Society, the Irish Research Council, the European Research Council, and the Human Frontier Science Program all provided funding for this work.
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