New Books Network Yossi Yovel, "The Genius Bat: The Secret Life of the Only Flying Mammal" (St. Martin's Press, 2025)
Dec 16, 2025
In this engaging conversation, Yossi Yovel, a zoologist and neurobiologist known for his work on bat behavior, explores the fascinating world of bats and their intelligence. He discusses how vampire bats share food through reciprocal altruism and the complexities of their social structures. Yovel reveals the surprising communication skills of bats, including vocal learning and dialects. He also addresses the threats bats face from humans and the importance of conservation efforts. Dive into the hidden life of these remarkable creatures!
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Long-Term Reciprocity In Vampire Bats
- Vampire bats share blood across years as reciprocal altruism rather than kin-based help.
- The system punishes persistent cheaters by social exclusion, making long-term reciprocity stable.
Bradbury’s Hammer-Headed Bat Discovery
- Jack Bradbury discovered hammer-headed bats lekking where males honk to attract females.
- He noted some species seemed "dumb" because they failed simple lab tasks despite effective natural strategies.
Communication Versus Echolocation
- Social vocalizations are unconstrained by sensing physics and therefore highly variable across species.
- Vocal learning in bats is subtle but present and supports dialects and complex social signals.
