A study published in Cell Reports shows that an array of sensory receptors in the wing provides feedback to a bat during flight. The findings also suggest that neurons in the bat brain respond to incoming airflow and touch signals, triggering adjustments in wing position to optimize flight control.

Humans cannot currently build aircraft that match the agility of bats, so a better grasp of these processes could inspire new aircraft design and new sensors for monitoring airflow, saya Ellen Lumpkin, a Columbia University associate professor of dermatology and physiology and cellular biophysics.

(Watch a video summary of the report.)

Compared to other mammalian limbs, the bat wing has a unique distribution of hair follicles and touch-sensitive receptors, and the spatial pattern of these receptors suggests that different parts of the wing are equipped to send different types of sensory information to the brain.

Moreover, bat wings have a distinct sensory circuitry in comparison to other mammalian forelimbs. Sensory neurons on the wing send projections to a broader and lower section of the spinal cord, including much of the thoracic region. In other mammals, this region of the spinal cord usually receives signals from the trunk rather than the forelimbs.

The researchers also found that neurons in the brain responded when the wing was either stimulated by air puffs or touched with a thin filament, suggesting that airflow and tactile stimulation activate common neural pathways.