Bat wings have tiny sensory hairs on their wings that allow them to change the wings’ shape in a split section, which explains their amazing maneuverability, a new study has found.

In a study published in the journal Cell Reports, researchers at Johns Hopkins University measured the behavior of bats in flight. They removed the hairs on the bats’ wings temporarily with depilatory cream, and found that in this state, bats were not able to slow down as quickly when they got near objects, and their turns in midair weren’t nearly as tight.

In fact, they conducted neurological studies on the bats and found that their brain cells were stimulated by sensory information received from the hairs on their wings.

Scientists were able to identify those sensory cells that were associated with the fine hairs, which are called Merkel cells. These Merkel cells were found next to the follicle of the fine hairs 47 percent of the time, according to the research.

Essentially, when bats move, the hairs act as a lever that activates the Merkel cell, which gives the bat instant info on airflow over its wing.