Overview
- Published in the peer-reviewed journal Ecology and Evolution, the study confirms ultraviolet-induced photoluminescence in North American bats (DOI: 10.1002/ece3.71885).
- The glow, measured as green, appears on wings and hind limbs when specimens are illuminated at 410 nanometers and assessed with a light sensor.
- Six species were identified: big brown, eastern red, Seminole, southeastern myotis, gray, and Brazilian free-tailed bats.
- Uniform coloration across sexes and species led researchers to discount sex or species recognition, mate attraction, and camouflage as likely functions.
- The team suggests the trait is inherited—potentially for communication or as a vestige of past adaptation—and calls for further research, noting many bats can perceive the emitted wavelengths.