Introduction

Efficient use of sensory function and communication has been one of the most important factors in the evolution and survival of animals in nature.Especially for the highest forms of evolution, vision and hearing are the two main modalities to support this view in a complementary way.

• sensory:感官的 modality:方式 complementary:互相补充的

Visual information, based on the laws of optics, reflects the environment in a geometrically appropriate and reliable manner, while auditory sensing and perception based on the laws of acoustic, are less dependent on physical constraints such as obstacles between an observer and objects to be perceived.

• optics:光学 geometrically:几何学上的 constraint:限制 obstacles:障碍物

vision often dominates audition, especially if an object is clearly visible or moving, while hearing may capture important information even when there are no perceivable visual events. Sensory integration, i.e, fusion of information from different modalities into a coherent percept, is characteristic of living species. Only when senses provide conflicting cues must they compete for contribution to the final percept.

• integration:集成 fusion:融合 coherent:一致的 conflicting:相矛盾的

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utilize:使用、利用
orientation:方向、定位
early phase:早期
imply:暗示、意味、说明、表明
terrain:地形、地带、岩层
obscure:昏暗的、不清楚的、隐蔽的、无名的
startle:使震惊、使惊跳
echolocating bat:回声定位蝙蝠
frequency sweep:频率扫描
echoes:回声
navigation:导航、领航、海航
gesture:手势
favourable:有利的，顺利的
relatively:相当的
carry far:传很远
propagate:传播、繁衍、使蔓延
opaque:不透明的、晦暗的、含糊的、迟钝的
parmanent:长存的，常驻的
inherent:与生俱来的
instinctive:天生的、生来的、本能的，直觉的
multitude:大量、许多
prerequisite:先决条件
phoneme:音素
phrase：短语
interpretation:解释
redundancy:冗余
adverse:不良的、不利的
evoking：唤起、产生
aesthetic:审美
symbolic:象征的
utility:有作用
conceptual:概念的
by means of:通过
concrete:具体的