Anatomical variations in bat larynges involve different echolocation behaviour

Bats constitute more than 20 percent of mammalian species and exhibit significant morphological, behavioural, and ecological diversity. Their capacity for flight and echolocation have enabled bats to advance into various environments, thus leading to their remarkable evolutionary success. However, the origin and evolution of laryngeal echolocation remain subjects of debate, with conflicting hypotheses proposing either a single origin or multiple independent origins. The larynx, responsible for sound production, remains poorly understood in terms of its anatomy and the variations associated with echolocation strategies. Also, certain bat families possess cartilaginous tracheal chambers located posteriorly to the cricoid cartilage, but their role in vocal production, as well as their distribution among different bat clades, remains insufficiently characterized.