[Participation of the auditory centers of Rhinolophus ferrum-equinum in echolocational tracking of a moving target].

Behavioral and bioacoustic techniques were used to investigate the role of the auditory cortex and inferior colliculi in echolocative detection and tracking of moving targets by the greater horseshoe bat as well as their role in the regulation of vocal apparatus. It is demonstrated that complete bilateral auditory cortex destruction leads to considerable and irreversible changes in the process of tracking of moving targets but produce no detectable effect on the functioning of the vocal apparatus. Complete bilateral destruction of the inferior colliculi causes a loss of responses to moving targets (an artificial target or an insect). Animals with bilaterally destructed inferior colliculi show drastic changes in spectra of their echolocation calls manifested as occurence of multiple high- and low-frequency spectral components. The data suggest that the inferior colliculi of the midbrain are directly involved in echolocative tracking of moving targets and in matching of reception-emitting system of the bat. Participation of the auditory cortex in the process of echolocative detection of moving targets involves optimization of the echolocation system performance.