Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Fruit Bats Exhibit Stable Internal Compass in Navigation Study

10/16/2025

34 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

The study shows fruit bats possess a global "internal compass" that remains stable despite celestial cues from the Moon or stars.
Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science recorded neural activity of fruit bats on Latham Island, Tanzania, marking the first study of mammalian navigation in the wild.
The team monitored over 400 navigation-related neurons to demonstrate that directional neurons function across Latham Island.

1 of 1

Story summary

The study shows fruit bats possess a global "internal compass" that remains stable despite celestial cues from the Moon or stars.
Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science recorded neural activity of fruit bats on Latham Island, Tanzania, marking the first study of mammalian navigation in the wild.
The team monitored over 400 navigation-related neurons to demonstrate that directional neurons function across Latham Island.