BAT SONAR - AN ALTERNATIVE INTERPRETATION OF THE 10-NS JITTER RESULT

In 1990 Simmons et al. reported evidence of a time resolution hitherto unknown in any animal, namely a 10-ns jitter detection threshold in e cholocating bats. This result is discussed. The calibration data from the original papers are examined. Observations indicating other cues t han delay being presented to the bats are given. We offer an alternati ve explanation for the psychometric jitter function, based on the assu mption of a subtle distortion due to impedance mismatch in the delay-p roducing apparatus. We also report that effects of impedance mismatch are detectable by a human subject in a model experiment.