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Benda P, Uvizl M, Vallo P, Reiter A, Uhrin M. A Revision of the Rhinolophus hipposideros group (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) with Definition of an Additional Species from the Middle East. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2023. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2022.24.2.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Petr Benda
- Department of Zoology, Department of Zoology, National Museum (Natural History), Václavské nám. 68, CZ-115 79 Praha 1, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Uvizl
- Department of Zoology, Department of Zoology, National Museum (Natural History), Václavské nám. 68, CZ-115 79 Praha 1, Czech Republic
| | - Peter Vallo
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Květná 8, CZ-603 65 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Antonín Reiter
- South Moravian Museum in Znojmo, Přemyslovců 129/8, CZ-669 02 Znojmo, Czech Republic
| | - Marcel Uhrin
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University, Šrobárova 2, SK-041 80 Košice, Slovakia
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Esquivel DA, Pereira MJR, Stuhler JD, Rossoni DM, Velazco PM, Bianchi FM. Multiples lines of evidence unveil cryptic diversity in the Lophostoma brasiliense (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) complex. SYST BIODIVERS 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/14772000.2022.2110172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Diego A. Esquivel
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Campus do Vale, Porto Alegre, 91501-970, Brazil
- Fundación Kurupira, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia
| | - Maria Joáo Ramos Pereira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Campus do Vale, Porto Alegre, 91501-970, Brazil
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
| | - John D. Stuhler
- Department of Natural Resources Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, 79409, USA
| | - Daniela M. Rossoni
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, 32306-1058, USA
- Field Museum of Natural History, Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Chicago, 60605, USA
| | - Paúl M. Velazco
- American Museum of Natural History, Department of Mammalogy, New York, 10024-5193, USA
- Department of Biology, Arcadia University, Glenside, 19038, USA
| | - Filipe Michels Bianchi
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Campus do Vale, Porto Alegre, 91501-970, Brazil
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Penna A, Dillon R, Bearder SK, Karlsson J, Perkin A, Pozzi L. Phylogeography and evolutionary lineage diversity in the small-eared greater galago, Otolemur garnettii (Primates: Galagidae). Zool J Linn Soc 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Assessing the true lineage diversity in elusive nocturnal organisms is particularly challenging due to their subtle phenotypic variation in diagnostic traits. The cryptic small-eared greater galago (Otolemur garnettii) offers a great opportunity to test if currently recognized subspecies, suggested by discontinuities in coat colour pattern and geographic barriers, represent distinct evolutionary lineages. To answer this question, we conducted the first population-level phylogeographic study of the species, sampling wild specimens from across almost its entire latitudinal range, including the Zanzibar Archipelago. We applied five species-delimitation algorithms to investigate the genetic diversity and distribution pattern of mitochondrial DNA across the geographic range of three out of four subspecies. Our results suggest that far-northern populations of O. g. lasiotis potentially represent an independently evolving lineage, but populations assigned to O. g. garnettii from Zanzibar Island and of O. g panganiensis from mainland Tanzania do not constitute two independent lineages. A dated phylogeny suggests that this northern clade diverged from all remaining samples approximately 4 Mya. Such old divergence age is in line with the split between many galagid species. This northern lineage could potentially represent an incipient species; however, there is not yet enough evidence to support a new taxonomic status for this unique mitochondrial group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Penna
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at San Antonio , San Antonio, Texas , USA
- Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Rosemarie Dillon
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at San Antonio , San Antonio, Texas , USA
| | - Simon K Bearder
- Nocturnal Primate Research Group, Oxford Brookes University , Oxford , UK
| | - Johan Karlsson
- Nocturnal Primate Research Group, Oxford Brookes University , Oxford , UK
| | - Andrew Perkin
- Nocturnal Primate Research Group, Oxford Brookes University , Oxford , UK
| | - Luca Pozzi
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at San Antonio , San Antonio, Texas , USA
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Curran M, Kopp M, Ruedi M, Bayliss J. A New Species of Horseshoe Bat (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) from Mount Namuli, Mozambique. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2022. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2022.24.1.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Curran
- Formerly: Department of Environmental Sciences, Biogeography Section, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mirjam Kopp
- Freelance consultant, 3550 Langnau i.E., Switzerland
| | - Manuel Ruedi
- Natural History Museum of Geneva, Genève 6, Switzerland
| | - Julian Bayliss
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, United Kingdom
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The influence of geography in the cranial diversification of the bulldog bats of the genus Noctilio (Noctilionidae: Chiroptera). ORG DIVERS EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13127-022-00567-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Tanshi I, Obitte BC, Monadjem A, Kingston T. Hidden Afrotropical Bat Diversity in Nigeria: Ten New Country Records from a Biodiversity Hotspot. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2022. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2021.23.2.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Iroro Tanshi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, 2901 Main St., 79409-3131, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Benneth Chigozie Obitte
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, 2901 Main St., 79409-3131, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Ara Monadjem
- All Out Africa Research Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Eswatini, Private Bag 4, Kwaluseni, Eswantini
| | - Tigga Kingston
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, 2901 Main St., 79409-3131, Lubbock, Texas, USA
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Mutumi GL, Jacobs DS, Bam L. Geographic variation in the skulls of the horseshoe bats, Rhinolophus simulator and R. cf. simulator: Determining the relative contributions of adaptation and drift using geometric morphometrics. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:15916-15935. [PMID: 34824800 PMCID: PMC8601903 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The relative contributions of adaptation and genetic drift to morphological diversification of the skulls of echolocating mammals were investigated using two horseshoe bat species, Rhinolophus simulator and R. cf. simulator, as test cases. We used 3D geometric morphometrics to compare the shapes of skulls of the two lineages collected at various localities in southern Africa. Size and shape variation was predominantly attributed to selective forces; the between-population variance (B) was not proportional to the within-population variance (W). Modularity was evident in the crania of R. simulator but absent in the crania of R. cf. simulator and the mandibles of both species. The skulls of the two lineages thus appeared to be under different selection pressures, despite the overlap in their distributions. Difference in the crania of R. cf. simulator was centered largely on the nasal dome region of R. cf. simulator but on the cranium and mandibles of R. simulator. It is likely that the size and shape of the nasal dome, which acts as a frequency-dependent acoustic horn, is more crucial in R. cf. simulator than in R. simulator because of the higher echolocation frequencies used by R. cf. simulator. A larger nasal dome in R. cf. simulator would allow the emission of higher intensity pulses, resulting in comparable detection distances to that of R. simulator. In contrast, selection pressure is probably more pronounced on the mandibles and cranium of R. simulator to compensate for the loss in bite force because of its elongated rostrum. The predominance of selection probably reflects the stringent association between environment and the optimal functioning of phenotypic characters associated with echolocation and feeding in bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory L. Mutumi
- Animal Evolution and Systematics Group (AES)Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Life and Environmental Sciences DepartmentUniversity of California–MercedMercedCaliforniaUSA
| | - David S. Jacobs
- Animal Evolution and Systematics Group (AES)Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Lunga Bam
- Radiation Science DepartmentSouth Africa Nuclear Energy CorporationPretoriaSouth Africa
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Mongombe AM, Bakwo Fils EM, Tamesse JL. Annotated checklist of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of Mount Cameroon, southwestern Cameroon. ZOOSYSTEMA 2020. [DOI: 10.5252/zoosystema2020v42a24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Manga Mongombe
- Department of Biological Sciences; Faculty of Science; University of Maroua, Cameroon, P.O. Box 814, Maroua (Cameroon)
| | - Eric Moise Bakwo Fils
- Department of Biological Sciences; Faculty of Science; University of Maroua, Cameroon, P.O. Box 814, Maroua (Cameroon)
| | - Joseph Lebel Tamesse
- Department of Biological sciences, Higher Teacher's Training College, University of Yaoundé I, P.O Box 812, Yaoundé (Cameroon)
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A phylogeny for African Pipistrellus species with the description of a new species from West Africa (Mammalia: Chiroptera). Zool J Linn Soc 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
AbstractPipistrelloid bats are among the most poorly known bats in Africa, a status no doubt exacerbated by their small size, drab brown fur and general similarity in external morphology. The systematic relationships of these bats have been a matter of debate for decades, and despite some recent molecular studies, much confusion remains. Adding to the confusion has been the recent discovery of numerous new species. Using two mitochondrial genes, we present a phylogeny for this group that supports the existence of three main clades in Africa: Pipistrellus, Neoromicia and the recently described Parahypsugo. However, the basal branches of the tree are poorly supported. Using an integrative taxonomic approach, we describe a new species of Pipistrellus sp. nov. from West Africa, which has been cited as Pipistrellus cf. grandidieri in the literature. We demonstrate that it is not closely related to Pipistrellus grandidieri from East Africa, but instead is sister to Pipistrellus hesperidus. Furthermore, the species Pi. grandidieri appears to be embedded in the newly described genus Parahypsugo, and is therefore better placed in that genus than in Pipistrellus. This has important taxonomic implications, because a new subgenus (Afropipistrellus) described for Pi. grandidieri predates Parahypsugo and should therefore be used for the entire “Parahypsugo” clade. The Upper Guinea rainforest zone, and particularly the upland areas in the south-eastern Guinea—northern Liberia border region may represent a global hotspot for pipistrelloid bats and should receive increased conservation focus as a result.
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Monadjem A, Guyton J, Naskrecki P, Richards LR, Kropff AS, Dalton DL. Cryptic Diversity in the Genus Miniopterus with the Description of a New Species from Southern Africa. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2020. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2020.22.1.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ara Monadjem
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Eswatini, Private Bag 4, Kwaluseni, Eswatini
| | - Jen Guyton
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, 106A Guyot Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Piotr Naskrecki
- E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Laboratory, Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique
| | - Leigh R. Richards
- Durban Natural Science Museum, PO Box 4085, Durban 4000, South Africa
| | - Anna S. Kropff
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, P.O. Box 754, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
| | - Desire L. Dalton
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, P.O. Box 754, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
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Moir M, Richards LR, Cherry MI, Rambau RV. Demographic responses of forest-utilizing bats to past climate change in South Africa. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
AbstractHistorical forest contractions may have restricted the distributions of forest-utilizing fauna while providing opportunities for range expansions for open-habitat species. We aimed to test if habitat associations have played an important role in determining population genetic structure and demographic responses of six bats to oscillations in forest extent since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). We hypothesized that forest-associated species would display high levels of population structure and past population contractions as their distribution is dependent on fragmented forests. By contrast, habitat generalists would demonstrate low geographical structuring and historical population stability as suitable habitats are widely available. We used mitochondrial DNA to generate genetic diversity and population structure metrics of three forest-associated species and three habitat generalists in South Africa. Neutrality tests and Bayesian skyline plots were used to investigate demographic histories. A forest habitat association did not inform the population genetics of the study species. Rather, species-specific traits of roosting requirements, philopatry to the natal range and dispersal ability informed the observed structure. All species demonstrated population expansions during the Pleistocene, with no apparent decline during the LGM. It appears that the lower climate change footprint and refuge-status of eastern South Africa prevented population declines of insectivorous bats during the LGM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Moir
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | | | - Michael I Cherry
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Ramugondo V Rambau
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
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Monadjem A, Shapiro JT, Richards LR, Karabulut H, Crawley W, Nielsen IB, Hansen A, Bohmann K, Mourier T. Systematics of West African Miniopterus with the Description of a New Species. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2020. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2019.21.2.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ara Monadjem
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Eswatini, Private Bag 4, Kwaluseni, Eswatini
| | - Julie T. Shapiro
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, 103 Black Hall, Gainesville FL, 32611, USA
| | - Leigh R. Richards
- Durban Natural Science Museum, PO Box 4085, Durban, 4000, Republic of South Africa
| | - Hatice Karabulut
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Middle East Technical University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - Wing Crawley
- 53 Rosebank Crescent, Exeter, Devon EX4 6EH, United Kingdom
| | - Ida Broman Nielsen
- Centre for GeoGenetics, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anders Hansen
- Centre for GeoGenetics, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kristine Bohmann
- Section for EvoGenomics, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tobias Mourier
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
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Taylor PJ, MacDonald A, Goodman SM, Kearney T, Cotterill FPD, Stoffberg S, Monadjem A, Schoeman MC, Guyton J, Naskrecki P, Engelbrecht A, Richards LR. CORRIGENDUM: Integrative taxonomy resolves three new cryptic species of small southern African horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus). Zool J Linn Soc 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Taylor
- School of Mathematical & Natural Sciences, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Biological Sciences Building, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Angus MacDonald
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Biological Sciences Building, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Steven M Goodman
- Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USA
- Association Vahatra, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Teresa Kearney
- Ditsong National Museum of Natural History, Pretoria, South Africa
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa
| | - Fenton P D Cotterill
- Geoecodynamics Research Hub, c/o Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Sam Stoffberg
- Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Ara Monadjem
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Eswatini, Kwaluseni, Eswatini
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - M Corrie Schoeman
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Biological Sciences Building, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Jennifer Guyton
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Piotr Naskrecki
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Demos TC, Webala PW, Goodman SM, Kerbis Peterhans JC, Bartonjo M, Patterson BD. Molecular phylogenetics of the African horseshoe bats (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae): expanded geographic and taxonomic sampling of the Afrotropics. BMC Evol Biol 2019; 19:166. [PMID: 31434566 PMCID: PMC6704657 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-019-1485-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Old World insectivorous bat genus Rhinolophus is highly speciose. Over the last 15 years, the number of its recognized species has grown from 77 to 106, but knowledge of their interrelationships has not kept pace. Species limits and phylogenetic relationships of this morphologically conservative group remain problematic due both to poor sampling across the Afrotropics and to repeated instances of mitochondrial-nuclear discordance. Recent intensive surveys in East Africa and neighboring regions, coupled with parallel studies by others in West Africa and in Southern Africa, offer a new basis for understanding its evolutionary history. Results We investigated phylogenetic relationships and intraspecific genetic variation in the Afro-Palearctic clade of Rhinolophidae using broad sampling. We sequenced mitochondrial cytochrome-b (1140 bp) and four independent and informative nuclear introns (2611 bp) for 213 individuals and incorporated sequence data from 210 additional individuals on GenBank that together represent 24 of the 33 currently recognized Afrotropical Rhinolophus species. We addressed the widespread occurrence of mito-nuclear discordance in Rhinolophus by inferring concatenated and species tree phylogenies using only the nuclear data. Well resolved mitochondrial, concatenated nuclear, and species trees revealed phylogenetic relationships and population structure of the Afrotropical species and species groups. Conclusions Multiple well-supported and deeply divergent lineages were resolved in each of the six African Rhinolophus species groups analyzed, suggesting as many as 12 undescribed cryptic species; these include several instances of sympatry among close relatives. Coalescent lineage delimitation offered support for new undescribed lineages in four of the six African groups in this study. On the other hand, two to five currently recognized species may be invalid based on combined mitochondrial and/or nuclear phylogenetic analyses. Validation of these cryptic lineages as species and formal relegation of current names to synonymy will require integrative taxonomic assessments involving morphology, ecology, acoustics, distribution, and behavior. The resulting phylogenetic framework offers a powerful basis for addressing questions regarding their ecology and evolution. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12862-019-1485-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terrence C Demos
- Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA.
| | - Paul W Webala
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Maasai Mara University, Narok, Kenya
| | - Steven M Goodman
- Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA.,Association Vahatra, BP 3972, 101, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Julian C Kerbis Peterhans
- Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA.,College of Professional Studies, Roosevelt University, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA
| | | | - Bruce D Patterson
- Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA
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Monadjem A, Kane A, Taylor P, Richards LR, Hall G, Woodborne S. Morphology and stable isotope analysis demonstrate different structuring of bat communities in rainforest and savannah habitats. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:180849. [PMID: 30662720 PMCID: PMC6304110 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.180849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Bats play important ecological roles in tropical systems, yet how these communities are structured is still poorly understood. Our study explores the structure of African bat communities using morphological characters to define the morphospace occupied by these bats and stable isotope analysis to define their dietary niche breadth. We compared two communities, one in rainforest (Liberia) and one in savannah (South Africa), and asked whether the greater richness in the rainforest was due to more species 'packing' into the same morphospace and trophic space than bats from the savannah, or some other arrangement. In the rainforest, bats occupied a larger area in morphospace and species packing was higher than in the savannah; although this difference disappeared when comparing insectivorous bats only. There were also differences in morphospace occupied by different foraging groups (aerial, edge, clutter and fruitbat). Stable isotope analysis revealed that the range of δ 13C values was almost double in rainforest than in savannah indicating a greater range of utilization of basal C3 and C4 resources in the former site, covering primary productivity from both these sources. The ranges in δ 15N, however, were similar between the two habitats suggesting a similar number of trophic levels. Niche breadth, as defined by either standard ellipse area or convex hull, was greater for the bat community in rainforest than in savannah, with all four foraging groups having larger niche breadths in the former than the latter. The higher inter-species morphospace and niche breadth in forest bats suggest that species packing is not necessarily competitive. By employing morphometrics and stable isotope analysis, we have shown that the rainforest bat community packs more species in morphospace and uses a larger niche breadth than the one in savannah.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ara Monadjem
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Eswatini, Private Bag 4, Kwaluseni, Eswatini
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag 20, Hatfield 0028, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Adam Kane
- School of Biology and Environmental Science and Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Peter Taylor
- School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou 0950, South Africa
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Biological Sciences Building, South Ring Road, Westville Campus, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal 3630, South Africa
| | - Leigh R. Richards
- Durban Natural Science Museum, PO Box 4085, Durban 4000, South Africa
| | - Grant Hall
- iThemba LABS, Private Bag 11, WITS 2050, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Stephan Woodborne
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag 20, Hatfield 0028, Pretoria, South Africa
- iThemba LABS, Private Bag 11, WITS 2050, Pretoria, South Africa
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