Everyday bat vocalizations contain information about emitter, addressee, context, and behavior

Many animal species use vocal communication1, but the chaotic nature of the acoustics of these vocalizations often complicates their cataloging into clearly divided types and contexts2. Understanding the encapsulated information in animal vocalizations is central to the study of sociality, communication, and language evolution. Yet, in the research of nonhuman animals, the purpose and meaning of the vocal message often remain obscure. Researchers of animal communication, seeking homology to semantics, may relate behavioral observations to acoustic measurements, and thus reveal some of the information content of vocal expressions. Indeed, several studies have described cases of vocalizations as functionally referential, i.e. signals which are both specific to a certain context and elicit an appropriate response by a receiver3,4,5.