Research Reveals Loyalty Bats

KOMPAS.com - Bats, the only animal species of mammals that can fly, it turns out one of the species that have loyalty. During the five-year study results showed that bats keep the fidelity with close relatives, family, and its colonies in the long run.


The study was conducted by Professor Gerald Kerth of the University of Greifswald, Germany and his team. Research results published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, published recently. These research results reveal the complexity of the lives of animals such as bats.


A total of two colonies of bats were observed in this study. Each bat was marked with a microchip so as to facilitate observation. Furthermore, periodically, researchers conducted observations when the bat was perched. Of 20,000 observations were made.


The results revealed that the bats in a variety of age ranges, size, reproductive status and kinship maintain long term relationships. "In the larger colony, we detected two stable sub-unit consisting of bats of various lineages," the researchers said.



"The relationship between the sub units are primarily maintained by bats that are older and persist for years," said the researchers in their publications. Detail the social structure of bat was evident when large amounts of data are used.


Researchers revealed that elephants, dolphins, some carnivores and primates also maintain their social relationships in addition to the process of separation and merging with the various groups. This process is called fission danfusi.


Information about the dynamics of social relationships and interactions between individuals is important for understanding the evolution of animal sociality, including humans. "Our study opens the opportunity to describe the relationship between social complexity and social intelligence in mammals," explained the researchers.