Neuroscientists from Israel have found out that bats have a mental compass that works in 3D, and allows the flying mammals to orient themselves efficiently as they navigate through the air.

The team studied the brains of bats in mid-flight. They examined the bats as they flew up-down, left-right and rotating. They claim it's the very first study to relate neural activity to navigation.

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They implanted microelectrodes into bats' brains to monitor the animals' head rotation when t flying. These electrodes sent brain signals to researchers while the bats were in flight.

Researchers gathered information by studying video recordings and microelectrodes' data. They discovered bats have special brain cells that seem to specialize in 3D directions.

They found out these particular neurons are used when bats spot a certain direction on a horizontal plane. In addition, there are also neurons used when a bat is twisted in flight or performing a barrel roll.

"Head-direction cells were organized along a functional-anatomical gradient in the presubiculum, transitioning from 2D to 3D representations. Taken together, these results demonstrate a 3D head-direction mechanism in mammals, which could support navigation in 3D space," said Arseny Finkelstein from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel.

The study also suggests the 3D neurons aren't located in the same region as brain cells responsible for 2D head directions. Researchers said the two groups compute parameters independently from each other.

They believe not only bats are capable of 3D compass, but also dogs, cats, primates, and other mammals.

Humans can't fully grasp the process of elevations and 3D directions because of the multilayered environments they live in like multi-storied buildings.

The study was published in the journal, Nature.

Tagsbats, 3D, 3D compass, 3D brain compass, compass, Neural activity, Navigation, 3D directions, neurons, 3D space