User:Nordliam/sandbox

Additions that could be made to the notochord on Wikipedia:

1) "The notochord plays a key role in signalling and coordinating development." Should there be more information of how the notochord does this? 2) More, as well as higher quality pictures are needed. 3) About half of the citations in the "Development" section of the article are not cited (i.e. 'citation needed'). 4) Very little content on the "Neurology" section compared to the other sections of the article. 5) "Scenarios for the evolutionary origin of the notochord have been comprehensively reviewed (Annona, G., Holland, N. D., and D'Aniello, S. 2015. Evolution of the notochord. EvoDevo 6: article 30)." Is the format of this citation correct? Shouldn't it be a footnote? 6) "They point out that, although many of these ideas have not been well supported by advances in molecular phylogenetics and developmental genetics, two of them have actually been revived under the stimulus of modern molecular approaches(the first proposes that the notochord evolved de novo in chordates, and the second derives it from a homologous structure, the axochord, that was present in annelid-like ancestors of the chordates)." This sentence seems a little biased? Not sure though? 7) The "Structure" section also does not have much content. In addition, it is not mentioned how the notochord is typically composed of a core of cells and fluid encased in a tough sheath of fibrous tissue (From our book). It also fails to mention how the notochord is a hydrostatic organ, meaning the fluid that fills the notochord remains static and does not flow (From our book). 8) There are not a lot of references (only 10), and many sentences are still needing citations (compare to the brain on Wikipedia~ 136 references). 9) A lot of the references used are relatively old. 10) The website associated with references 8 and 9 either doesn't work anymore or it is false. 11) A promising 'newer' reference: Lauri, A., Brunet, T., Handberg-Thorsager, M., Fischer, A.H., Simakov, O., Steinmetz, P.R., Tomer, R., Keller, P.J. and Arendt, D. 2014. Development of the annelid axochord: insights into notochord evolution. Science, 345: 1365-1368. 12) Another promising 'older' source: Cameron, C.B., Garey, J.R. and Swalla, B.J., 2000. Evolution of the chordate body plan: new insights from phylogenetic analyses of deuterostome phyla. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 97: 4469-4474. Nordliam (talk) 05:59, 16 February 2017 (UTC)

Comparative Anatomy Group Dissection Preferences:

1) Microbat

Tragus: Talk:Tragus (ear)

Echolocation: Talk:Animal echolocation

I have never really seen a bat up close, so I think it would be very interesting to learn their anatomy. In addition, I was fortunate to get the chance to listen to Crystal Asplund last semester give a very interesting presentation on the evolution of bat echolocation, which is another reason why I would like to study this creature.

2) Chimaera

Operculum: Talk:Chimaera

Electroreception: Talk:Electroreception

Clasper: Talk:Clasper

I had never heard of a chimaera before this class. Chimaeras are living relatives of sharks, and I think it would be interesting to be able to compare the anatomy of the two. I also I now know quite a bit about the anatomy of shark, which will be very helpful when comparing to the anatomy of both.

3) Frog

Buccal Pumping: Talk:Buccal pumping

Pedicellate teeth: Talk:Pedicellate teeth

I have dissected frogs and studied their anatomy in previous classes, so this might be advantageous to me for this project.

Week 5: Dissection Game Plan

Andrew:

• First off, I/we need to become more familiar with the morphology of the bat in general. Here is a good source: Outside and inside bats (PLU library).

• Next, I would like to look at the evolution, function and anatomy of both the Tragus and larynx and how those both function in echolocation for bats. Here are some promising sources:
  • Bats: from evolution to conservation (PLU library).
  • Echolocation: implications for ecology and evolution of bats (Accessible PDF on Google Scholar).
  • The role of the external ear in vertical sound localization in the free flying bat, Eptesicus fuscus (Accessible PDF on Google Scholar).
  • The evolution of echolocation in bats (Accessible PDF on Google Scholar).
  • Evolutionary origins of ultrasonic hearing and laryngeal echolocation in bats inferred from morphological analyses of the inner ear (Accessible PDF on Google Scholar).
  • HABITAT USE AND FORAGING BEHAVIOR OF TOWNSEND'S BIG-EARED BAT (CORYNORHINUS TOWNSENDII) IN COASTAL CALIFORNIA (Accessible PDF on Google Scholar).
  • Ontogeny, Functional Ecology, and Evolution of Bats (Accessible through the PLU library, also other promising articles associated with this title).Neha: pages I would be interested in editing: the microbat page.

Neha:

1. First, learning the anatomy and structures of the bat: source: Outside and inside bats 
2. Next, look at over all evolution, and focus on looking at the bat heart, wings, thermo regulation:
   1. Evolution:
      1. Altringham, J. D. (2011). Bats: From Evolution to Conservation. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2. Circulatory system
   2. Circulatory system
      1. Heart Rate: the Metabolic Rate in Heterothermic bats
         1. . "Heart rate as a predictor of metabolic rate in heterothermic bats." Journal of Experimental Biology  (2014)
            1. Veins of bat wings/ Blood flow 
               1. . “Discovery That the Veins of the Bat's Wing (Which Are Furnished with Valves) Are Endowed with Rythmical Contractility, and That the Onward Flow of Blood Is Accelerated by Each Contraction.” 
               2.  "Blood flow augmentation by intrinsic venular contraction in vivo". 
               3. “The Origin of Flight in Bats.” 
            2. Thermoregulation
               1. How it works/ article studies 
                  1.  Ecological and behavioral methods for the study of bats.

Juli:

• First I would like to familiarize myself with the general anatomy and morphology of bats and basic evolutionary information; Bats: From Evolution to Conservation
• PATAGIUM page: The article for the patagium has almost not information about the bat patagium specifically, so I am considering covering the following topics under the bat section of the patagium article page.
• Shape and structure of the bat wing: this would include giving a general overview of the basic structures of the bat patagium. The page already includes the four main regions of the patagium, but I would like to include more information to contextualize the skin of the wing with the whole body. This could include a diagram or description of the bones and muscles associated with the control of the wing. Sources- Bats: From Evolution to Conservation again. Also, chapter two of Bats (Chiroptera) as Vectors of Diseases and Parasites entitled "Bats: A Glimpse on Their Astonishing Morphology and Lifestyle"
• Physiology of skin of the bat wing: The patagium page mentions only that the structure is composed of skin, and does not include anything specific about the skin in this region. Sources- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2375846/ Although I will mostly be using this source (The Structural Design of the Bat wing web and its Possible Role in Gas Exchange) for the topic of gas exchange, it also includes a very detailed description of the make-up of the skin of the bat wing. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1996.tb05455.x/full This (Mechanical properties of bat wing membrane skin) is an incredibly detailed source on this topic.
• Role in aerodynamics of flying: The only aspect the patagium page covers even remotely is the very basic anatomical regions of the wing and that it is sed for flying; it does not include any more detail about how it is involved in the flying process, or how the structure lends to this process. Sources- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00418147 and http://jeb.biologists.org/content/218/5/653 Both of these sources describe the morphology of the the bat wing as it relates to the aerodynamics of flight in mammals (Bat wing structures important for aerodynamics and rigidity and Bat flight: aerodynamics, kinematics and flight morphology
• Role in gas exchange: This topic may not be necessary in light of all the other information I have to choose from to add, but I thought the bat skin in relation to gas exchange across the thin membrane was very interesting. Source: Again, The Structural Design of the Bat wing web and its Possible Role in Gas Exchange.
• Jump up ^ 
• Jump up ^ 
• Jump up ^ 
• Jump up ^ 
• Jump up ^ 
• Jump up ^ Kunz, Thomas (2009). Ecological and behavioral methods for the study of bats. John Hopkins.

Week 6: Draft I

Andrew:

Echolocation is mentioned on both the Bat and Microbat wikipedia pages. On the Bat wikipedia page, there is no mention of what anatomical structure the bat uses to produce this ultrasound, and with what anatomical structure the bat uses to sense ultrasound wavelengths. In addition, the Microbat wikipedia page makes no mention of what anatomical structure the organism uses to sense ultrasound waves, however, the page does mention that the larynx is used to produce this ultrasound. But this section of the article is not cited.

Perception of Ultrasound Waves:

Along with toothed whales, echolocating bats have evolved the most highly developed auditory systems compared to all other mammals. Echolocating bats use their cochlea to sense high frequency vocalizations. What is unique to echolocating bats is their cochlea. Their cochlea is a coiled cavity in which the turns help to facilitate the perception of high frequency sounds (>20 kHz) via its basal and upper turns. Moreover, their cochlea is enlarged and contains between 2.5 to 3.5 turns, compared to 1.75 turns in other non-echolocating bats.

Peer Review of Above Paragraph

Hi Andrew, overall the above section on the perception of ultrasound waves looks well written and balanced. In my opinion, a picture of an echolocating bat cochlea would help strengthen the image that you have verbally described. Hansonsl (talk) 23:19, 23 March 2017 (UTC)

Review of draft:

I found this information to be very neutral. I think that it was very informative and specific. However I would like to see more information regarding the differences between echo locating bats and non-echo locating bats. I think your information will fit in very well with the article, however. Ayersmm

Production of Ultrasound Waves:

Speech sounds are generated from the vocal folds in mammals due to the elastic membranes that compose these folds. Almost all echolocating bats use their larynx to produce ultrasonic signals. Most bats that echolocate by using their larynx have their stylohyal bones lying across the surface of the tympanic bones. This feature helps to surround and support the tympanic membranes, forming the auditory bullae. Moreover, a characteristic in all laryngeal echolocating bats is the direct contact between the prominent stylohyal bone and tympanic bone that further connect to the larynx. However, no contact between these bony elements is seen in bats that do not use their larynx to echolocate or in non-echolocating bats. The significance to the contact of these bony elements is that they serve to mechanically support and anchor the larynx and laryngeal muscles during the production of ultrasound signals.

comment from juli:

I think that overall what you have here looks good, though you may want to go though it again, I saw a typo or two. My main question is where are you going to put this? In the first paragraph you say that neither the bat nor the microbat pages have sufficient information on this topic, but which page are you going to put it on? Both? I think it should probably go in the bat section overall because it is not specific to the microbat, then maybe you could put some kind of link to it in the microbat page? Up to you, just a possible suggestion!

Future directions and reply to Juli:

I am not quite sure where I will put this information. Both the microbat and bat wikipedia pages could use this information, so I am not sure if I should just put it on one of the pages or both of the pages? I am leaning more towards putting it in the bat wikipedia page. Also, with regard to future directions, I will look for more resources on both the cochlea of the bat and the bony connections that support the larynx of the bat to see which direction I would like to go regrading my research for the project.

Juli:

Things to discuss[edit | edit source]

Based on a response from another user on the talk page of the patagium article, I think I need to change directions a little bit in order to prevent the information on the patagium article from becoming too unbalanced. Because of this, we (Neha especially because we may need to be more particular about where our topics overlap) should talk more about to approach my topics of choice. As of right now, I am thinking about adding some of my information to the patagium page directly, while also adding to the anatomy/wing section of the bat page, as well as considering putting another subheading specifically for patagium (similar to what was suggested on the patagium talk page comment- you guys should go read it if you get a chance).

Patagium section within the bat page anatomy section[edit | edit source]

The bat patagium is the skin membrane of the bat wing. It covers and is strengthened by the bat's four long, thin hand bones, though the thumb is free-moving. The patagium is stretched between the arm and hand bones, down the lateral side of the body and down to the hind limbs. This skin membrane consists of connective tissue, elastic filaments, nerves, muscles and vessels. The muscles keep the membrane taut during flight. The skin on the body of the bat, which has one layer of each the epidermis and dermis, as well as the presence of hair follicles and sweat glands and a fatty subcutaneous layer, is very different from the skin of the wing membrane. The patagium skin is comprised of an extremely thin double layer of epidermis, these layers are separated by a connective tissue center, rich with collagen and elastic fibers. The membrane skin also does not have any hair follicles of sweat glands. Due to this extremely thin membranous tissue, and that a bat's wing is about 85% of its total skin surface area, a bat's wing can significantly contribute to the organism's total gas exchange efficiency.

Peer Review of Above Paragraph

Hi Juli, overall this section looks like it would make a solid addition to the Wikipedia page. However, I noticed there were a few extraneous commas where a simple connective word would allow the sentence to flow better (in my opinion). Hansonsl (talk) 23:19, 23 March 2017 (UTC)

Review of draft:

you used good, descriptive language. Your stance was neutral. I think that it would be great for you to work with Neha , As this will strengthen both of your drafts. I would also add a picture. I would also hint at the importance of these structures as you elaborate with your group members. Ayersmm

Additions to the bat section of the Patagium article page[edit | edit source]

• Uropatagium (tail membrane): this is the region of the patagium which supports the greatest load at failure. This increased load bearing ability is thought to relate to its predatory function of catching prey, namely insects.
• Plagiopatagium (between lateral body and skeleton of hand): this is the weakest region of the patagium, and is highly extensible, which promotes the arching of the center of the wing, important for lift.

Aerodynamics[edit | edit source]

The next thing I will talk about is the shape of the patagium in relation to the aerodynamics of flying. While I do have a couple extremely helpful journal articles on the topic, they are very complex and I need to spend a lot more time with them in order to understand the math and physics in relation to anatomy and understand it enough to be able to summarize it in the way that it needs to be presented on a forum like wikipedia. This will definitely be my next step in this process.

Moving forward[edit | edit source]

Another thing that I plan to do before moving forward with this draft is do some more research about the different patagium sections and their particular makeup, because the references that I have compiled to this point are rather lacking in this area, as is the patagium page itself, outside of just the straight definition.

Comments from peers:

Juli I think you should look at my citations below they might be helpful. but over all I think our sections will go well together. -Neha

Juli, there is a lot of different directions you could go with your research, it almost sounds a bit too broad. However, I think that you have many different routes that you could take, with regard to what you described above. I also went through and fixed a few typos. Overall, very great/detailed plan for your part of the project. -Andrew

Neha:

Gas exchange and Thermoregulations:

- The wings are adapted for the use of gas exchange and thermoregulation. The bones in the wing of the bat are designed to be lighter in weight in order to achieve flight. The structure of lungs in bats are similar to that of mammals for blood flow exchange. The wings use up a high demand of energy for flight, and for the body to meet those demands it is done by gas exchange through the thin layers of the skin in the wing. When the bat has its wing in an open spread out position it allows for an increase in surface area to volume ratio. The increase in surface area in the wings allows for about 85% gas exchange of the total body surface area. Underneath the skin of the wings are subcutaneous vessels that allow for a greater surface area for the diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide. There is also a series of bundles of collagen fibrils, elastic fibers and fibroblasts organized into a network that lies in the wing of the bat. The bat wings are important in thermoregulation during flight. More than 80% of the energy consumed during flight generates heat as a by- product , and thus it is expected that bat wings should dissipate large amounts of heat to prevent hyperthermia.

- My next move is going through this paragraph and editing through this and adding more of gas exchange, and a little bit of back ground on the wing to connect it to julie.

Peer Review of Above Paragraph

Hi Neha, I noticed a few grammatical errors within your writing regarding proper tense. I took the liberty of correcting these minor changes, but please feel free to remove any of my edits if you feel differently. Hansonsl (talk) 23:19, 23 March 2017 (UTC)

Review of draft:

I think that you have a very interesting topic here. I think that this information is going to be very important as you add it to the article. I think that you should elaborate more on the idea of blood flow exchange. The draft is choppy at times, although it is a draft so that is likely why. I would add some commas and make your sentences varying lengths in order to remove that problem. However, the draft is really well written in terms of information. It is a good start. Ayersmm

Week 9: Feedback Responses

Juli:

Suggestions made by peers and my reactions/ plans moving forward:

• Basic editing and working with the mechanics of my writing: I think that this is always a good idea and I wasn't particularly worried about it in writing my first draft. As I continue to work on my additions, I will rework a lot of the writing. I hope, also, that this is something my group will work on together to improve our additions.
• Adding a picture/ multiple pictures: I like this suggestion, and there are definitely parts in my explanations that could benefit from a picture. It is something that I will continue to consider and likely end up including at least one picture. Possible pictures to add- diagram of the wing and wing bones, picture or diagram of the patagium skin tissue, diagram of the shape/ something to aid in explanation of aerodynamics.
• Work with Neha: This is absolutely part of my group's plan moving forward. Neha and I will likely synthesize our sections together to some extent, because of how much overlap there is in our information.
• Include more embedded links: I thought that I was doing well at this, but looking back there are a few more places I could make direct links fro clarity. Some are dermis and epidermis, sweat glands, etc.
• Narrow the focus/ one subject, one page: While I understand where this suggestion comes from and I am considering not covering the individual sections of the patagium anymore, I have decided that I am not going to follow this advice. I think that the information that I'm working with only makes sense to be covered on both the bat anatomy section and the patagium page. I think that working with Neha to make the skin topic more focused will help it seem less scattered. I am still fully planning to cover both the patagium skin and aerodynamics. This may make things harder for myself, because to cover both topics thoroughly will be more work, but I find both to be very interesting and both to be too lacking on wikipedia to ignore.
• Name the hand/ arm bones specifically: definitely a good idea and advice that I will take.
• Include more details about the muscles: I fully plan on including more details about the muscles in the bat wing, likely in the aerodynamics section because it relates to flying. I could also include it in the skin section (depends on what Neha and I decide about that section.)

Andrew:

Suggestions made by peers and my reactions/ plans moving forward:

• A lot of my peers mentioned how I should also include the human cochlea in my draft as a comparison to the bat cochlea. I believe this is great idea. I will dig into my old textbooks as well as find other sources and try to find relevant information on the human cochlea that will help the readers to better understand the bat cochlea.
• Almost all of my peers agreed that I should put my research on both the microbat and bat wikipedia pages. At first I was leaning more towards putting the information on the bat page, but seeing as how a lot of my peers stated that it would be beneficial on both pages, that is what I will do. Thinking about it more, I think this will make more sense overall.
• My peers also mentioned that I should add pictures of the cochlea and maybe the cochlear turns (if possible). I completely agree with this. My plan is to hopefully obtain these pictures when we start dissecting our microbat. If I am unable to obtain pictures of the cochlea, then my backup plan is to just search wikipedia to find an appropriate picture that I can use. I think that once I add pictures of the cochlea and, potentially, the cochlear turns, my research will make much more sense.
• It was also suggested to look into the characteristics of the cochlea more by either looking in my old textbooks or borrowing some. This is a great idea. I am still insure at to what all of the characteristics of the microbat cochlea mean (i.e. turns, length, etc). This is something that I will implement in my second draft. As stated above, I will also be including the human cochlea in my second draft as a comparison, which I think will also make my this draft more accurate and understandable to the reader.
• Similar to the cochlea, my peers also suggested that I add picture of the larynx as well as the stylohyal and tympanic bones. I agree with this suggestion, and I hope to obtain these pictures while dissecting our project animal. My backup plan if I am unable to obtain a certain picture is to search wikipedia for an appropriate image.
• The exact location of the stylohyal and tympanic bones to each other may not be accurate from what I said in my first draft. I am continuing to look for sources to clear this up. In addition, I believe that a picture of these structures in the bat will clear things up for myself and the reader.
• One of my peers mentioned that I should include a recording of the ultrasound a microbat makes. I believe this is a great idea. But I am not sure how I will obtain this. In addition, I thought I remember reading that we [humans] are unable to perceive this ultrasound produced by microbats. I will continue to research this to see if it is true. If it is not, I believe would be a great addition to bat and microbat wikipedia page.
• Finally, I will continue to do research on the bat cochlea and larynx, specifically looking for sources that mention the changes that my fellow peers have mentioned above. I am still unsure if I should just pick either the perception of sound (i.e. cochlea) or the production of sound (i.e. larynx) as my topic and disregard the other? For now I am going to stick to both, and look for more sources on each.Nordliam (talk) 22:51, 7 April 2017 (UTC)

Neha:

Suggestions made by peers and my reactions/ plans moving forward:

I really appreciate all the great feed back!!

- work on sentence structure, grammar and organization

- elaborate of the more for the function of the fibers present in the bat wing

- adding a bit more background to supplement the background

- collaborate more with juli

- mechanism for thermoregulation within the bat wing, and comparative features with humans.

- how is termoregulation important with flight

things to add

Week 10: Draft II:

Andrew: Production of Ultrasonic Waves in Bats

Vocalizations are generated from the vocal folds in mammals due to the elastic membranes that compose these folds. Vocalization requires these elastic membranes because they act as a source to transform airflow into acoustic pressure waves. In addition, the lungs of mammals supplies the energy to the these elastic membranes to produce sound. The larynx houses the vocal cords and forms the passage way that the expiratory air, that will produce sound, passes through. Echolocation is the process of producing sounds of a certain wavelength, and then listening to and comparing the reflected echoes to the original sound emitted (ADD TO THE ECHOLOCATION PART OF BAT PAGE). Bats use echolocation to form images of their surrounding environment and the organisms that inhabit it by eliciting ultrasonic waves via their larynx to form images of their surroundings. The difference between the ultrasonic waves produced by the bat and what the bat hears provides the bat with information about its environment. Echolocation aids the bat in not only detecting prey, but also in orientation. Laryngeally echolocating bats produce ultrasonic waves with their larynx that is specialized to produce sounds of short wavelength. The larynx is located at the cranial end of the trachea and is surrounded by cricothyroid muscles and thyroid cartilage. Phonation of ultrasonic waves are produced through the vibrations of the vocal membranes in the expiratory air. The intensity that these vocal folds vibrate at varies with activity and bat species. Bats must be able to distinguish between the differences of the pulse that they produce and the returning echo that follows. In addition, echolocating bats must be able to process and understand these ultrasonic waves at a neuronal level in order to obtain detailed information about their environment for prey detection and orientation. Laryngeal echolocation is the dominant form of echolocation in bats, however it is not the only way in which bats can produce ultrasonic waves. Other than non-echolocating and laryngeally echolocating bats, other species of bats have been show to produce ultrasonic waves by clapping their wings, clicking their tongues, or using their nose. A characteristic of laryngeally echolocating bats that distinguishes it from other bats is the articulation of their stylohyal bone with their tympanic bone. The stylohyal bones are part of the hyoid apparatus that help support the throat and larynx. The tympanic bone forms the floor of the middle ear. In addition to the connection between the stylohyal bone and the tympanic bone, as being an indicator of a laryngeally echolocating bat, another definitive marker is the presence of a flattened and expanded stylohyal bone at the cranial end. The connection between the stylohyal bone and the tympanic bone enables the bat to neurally register the outgoing and incoming ultrasonic waves produced by the larynx. Another significant feature of this bony connection is that the stylohyal bone connects the larynx to the tympanic bones via a cartilaginous or fibrous connection (depending on the species of bat). Mechanically the importance of this connection is that it supports the larynx by anchoring it to the surrounding cricothryroid muscles, as well as draws it closer to the nasal cavity during phonation. The stylohyal bones are often reduced in many other mammals, however, they are more prominent in laryngeally echolocating bats and are part of the mammalian hyoid apparatus. The hyoid apparatus functions in breathing, swallowing, and phonation in bats as well as other mammals. The auditory bullae is formed from the stylohyal bones that lie across the tympanic bones, which surround and support the tympanic membranes (Edit this sentence more to make sense). Another feature of the bony connection in laryngeally echolocating bats is the extended articulation of the ventral portion of the tympanic bones and the proximal end of the stylohyal bone that bends around it to make this connection.

Future Directions for Andrew:

• I want to get a picture of the bony connection next week in lab.
• I also think it might be interesting to possibly get a picture of either the larynx or the cricothyroid muscles of the bat.
• I still need find a source on humans to compare to bats.
• I will link this information in the microbat wikipedia page (linking it to the bat page will be too repetitive).
• I will also link this information to the echolocation wikipedia page. 

Neha and Juli: Wings

Patagium membrane:

The bat patagium is the skin membrane of the bat wing. It covers and is strengthened by the bat's four long, thin hand bones, though the thumb is free-moving. The patagium is stretched between the arm and hand bones, down the lateral side of the body and down to the hind limbs. This skin membrane consists of connective tissue, elastic filaments, nerves, muscles and vessels. The muscles keep the membrane taut during flight. The skin on the body of the bat, which has one layer of each the epidermis and dermis, as well as the presence of hair follicles and sweat glands and a fatty subcutaneous layer, is very different from the skin of the wing membrane. The patagium skin is comprised of an extremely thin double layer of epidermis; these layers are separated by a connective tissue center, rich with collagen and elastic fibers. The membrane skin also does not have any hair follicles of sweat glands.

Gas Exchange:

Due to this extremely thin membranous tissue, a bat's wing can significantly contribute to the organism's total gas exchange efficiency. Because of the high energy demand of flight, the bat body meets those demands by gas exchange through the skin in the wing. When the bat has its wing in an open spread out position it allows for an increase in surface area to volume ratio. The increase in surface area in the wings allows for about 85% gas exchange of the total body surface area. The subcutaneous vessels in the skin membrane allow for a greater surface area for the diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide. There is also a series of bundles of collagen fibrils, elastic fibers and fibroblasts organized into a network that lies in the wing ofW the bat.

Future direcions:

• Though these sections are both nearly ready to move over to the article page, some of the other information we would like to add is already somewhat covered in the page, so most of the work done with that material will be in integrating it into the article, as opposed to drafting it separately.
• We would like to add at least one picture to the wing section, hopefully one of the ones we took in lab.

Week 11: Future Directions

Andrew:

• I still need to get a picture of the bony connection in lab to add to the microbat page.
• I will add more content to the microbat page about comparing the information to humans.
• There is some content in the microbat page that is not cited at all.
• Verify that I added my information from draft #2 to the most appropriate wiki article.

Neha and Juli:

• we will add a picture
• See if we can connect it to the microbat page
• add more content from both of our parts
• Hopefully receive some feedback

Week 13: Continued work on our wikipedia project

Andrew: A possible paragraph to be added to the microbat page

The vocalization system of humans has been extensively studied, and as a result, is the most well understood compared to any other mammal. It has been instrumental in increasing our understanding of the vocalization systems of other mammals, including microbats. In the past, the human vocalization system was believed to be unique when compared to any of the other mammal vocalization systems, because of the ability to produce language and song. However, data has demonstrated that the human vocalization system is relatively similar to other mammal vocalization systems. A common theme that has been identified in all tetrapods, including humans and microbats: (1) a respiratory system with lungs; (2) a vocal tract that filters emitted sound before it exits into the surrounding environment; and (3) every tetrapod has a larynx that quickly closes to function in protection of the lungs, as well as it often might function in phonation, as is the case in humans and microbats. One feature of the mammal vocalization system that results in variation of sound production, especially for microbats and megabats, is the length of focal folds. The vocal folds determine the lowest frequency at which the folds can vibrate. Compared to humans, the length of vocal folds in microbats are very small. This allows them to generate their characteristic ultrasonic sounds that are above the human hearing range. In contrast, vocal folds of larger mammals, such as whales are greatly hypertrophied, which results in the production of infrasonic sounds far below the human hearing range.

Week 14: Peer reviewing

Andrew: Critiquing Neha and Juli's article

• I made a couple of edits to your content to hopefully make it flow a little better without taking out any information.
• I also added to your picture: "Specimen from the Pacific Lutheran University Natural History collection."
• Your content looks great! It was easy to follow and see the significance of it.

Neha & Juil: Critiquing Andrew's article

• Great content Andrew it really adds great information to the page!
• picture looks good, very clearly shows the bony connection.
• Well edited, I don't think there's anything in need of change, great job!