News Life

Many genes in dolphins and bats evolved in the same way to allow echolocation

Widespread changes scattered across the genomes of distantly related species crafted the trait

ECHOES OF EVOLUTION  Greater horseshoe bats (shown roosting) use echolocation  to track prey. The animals evolved the trait in the same way that toothed whales and distantly related bats did.

Gareth Jones/Univ. of Bristol, England

By Jessica Shugart

- More than 2 years ago

Despite being separated by millions of years of evolution, dozens of genes in dolphins and bats changed in the same manner to give the species their ability to echolocate.