Phyllostomidae (New World leaf-nosed bats), the second most speciose chiropteran family, is one of the best-known and wellstudied chiropteran groups. Due to the ecological and morphological diversity of this family, comparative studies of phyllostomids abound in the literature, and numerous systematic and phylogenetic analyses have been published. Unfortunately, many of these studies have reached different conclusions concerning phyllostomid relationships, and have proposed different classification schemes. This has led to confusion, and highlighted the need for a well-supported and stable classification of the family, particularly at the level of subfamilies and tribes, areas of the greatest controversy. The goal of this paper is to provide morphological diagnoses of higher-level taxa (subtribes, tribes, and subfamilies). Herein we provide morphological diagnoses for 11 subfamilies (Macrotinae, Micronycterinae, Desmodontinae, Lonchorhininae, Phyllostominae, Glyphonycterinae, Glossophaginae, Lonchophyllinae, Carollinae, Rhinophyllinae, and Stenodermatinae), 12 tribes (Desmodontini, Diphyllini, Macrophyllini, Phyllostomini, Vampyrini, Choeronycterini, Glossophagini, Brachyphyllini, Lonchophyllini, Hsunycterini, Sturnirini, and Stenodermatini), and nine subtribes (Anourina, Choeronycterina, Brachyphyllina, Phyllonycterina, Vampyressina, Enchisthenina, Ectophyllina, Artibeina, and Stenodermatina).
Where does a species live? How common is it? Where does it spend its inactive periods? These are basic questions about the biology of a species, which bring key information for application in conservation and management. Unfortunately, this information is available for only a minimum fraction of all animal species. Using 1) ecological niche modeling with maximum entropy (Maxent), 2) relative abundance estimates using museum records, and 3) field surveys of roosting sites, we report the fraternal fruit-eating bat, Artibeus fraterculus, as having a distribution limited to the Tumbesian ecoregion in Ecuador and west central Peru, being the relatively most abundant bat species throughout its range, with healthy populations which are primarily sustained by cultivated and introduced plants, and using human-made constructions as roost sites. Additionally, we described a large congregation of individuals of this species in a single roost, representing the largest colony reported for the genus Artibeus. These results may indicate resilience of A. fraterculus to human disturbance.
Size-standardized craniometric variation was investigated among species of the genus Artibeus. Eleven extant and one extinct species were examined using geometric and linear morphometric analyses to evaluate morphological differences among species. Based on 19 landmarks located in the ventral side of the cranium, 29 size-standardized linear measurements were calculated and used for statistical multivariate analyses. Discriminant Function Analysis showed major interspecific differences in shape between A. anthonyi and A. concolor with respect to the remaining extant species of Artibeus. These two species are described as morphologically unique morphotypes with a broader rostrum, enlarged squamosal region, and wider basicranium. Specifically, a broader premaxilla is the character that better discriminates A. anthonyi from all other species, whereas a broader squamosal region (particularly the deep mandibular fossa, and elongated squamosal) and wider braincase are the main characters differentiating A. concolor. All other species of the genus overlap to varying extents in their morphology showing high shape similarities. The least variant shape features include the pterygoid fossa, the glenoid (mandibular) fossa, the maxillae, and the occipital region; these regions in all cases contribute to mechanical aspects of jaw function and bite. The fact that the least variant aspects of skull shape all involve feeding is consistent with the hypothesis that selection has favored a specific diet-associated morphology rather than divergence or character displacement in Artibeus.
We describe and formally name a species of bonneted bat (genus Eumops), which is a member of the E. glaucinus complex. Closely related species are E. glaucinus, E. ferox, and E. floridanus. The conceptual basis for the description of this species is the Genetic Species Concept with speciation by the Bateson-Dobzhanzky-Muller model. The new species is distinguished from all other species of bats by its unique karyotype (2N = 38, FN = 54), sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene, and genetic markers revealed through analysis of Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms. The series from the type locality (Ecuador, Guayas) is comprised of seven specimens. Morphologically, the new species is smaller than E. floridanus and E. glaucinus, but is indistinguishable from E. ferox. The new species is significantly smaller in size than E. glaucinus in six out of eight measurements and is distinguishable from E. glaucinus based on length of maxillary toothrow and zygomatic breadth. The geographic range of E. wilsoni, as currently documented, is the dry forests of southwestern Ecuador and adjacent northwestern Peru. We propose the common name for this species be Wilson’s bonneted bat.
Species diversity and species limits of the small fruit-eating bats, genus Dermanura (Phyllostomidae: Stenodermatinae) were examined. Estimates of species diversity based on classical morphological criteria (current taxonomy) were compared to diversity estimates based on monophyly and cytochrome-b sequence divergence. The most recent taxonomic list included nine species, whereas the genetic based list contained 11: anderseni, azteca, bogotensis, cinerea, glauca, gnoma, phaeotis, rava, rosenbergi, tolteca, and watsoni, of which three (bogotensis Andersen, rava Miller, and rosenbergi Thomas) have been considered synonyms of cinerea, glauca, phaeotis, and tolteca by previous authors. In addition, we consider incomitata to be a synonym of watsoni. Phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA sequences resolved the interrelationships among taxa and prompted us to re-evaluate some morphological characters that support the distinction of all the recognized taxa, therefore providing a robust estimate of species status. A phylogenetic tree revealed a geographic component to the diversification of Dermanura, including a historical connection between western Andean and Middle American biota. In South America, no species has been recorded from both sides of the Andes Mountains, and at least one clade (glauca, gnoma, and bogotensis) is restricted to the eastern versant of the Andes. Using genetic data (monophyly and genetic distance) to identify species we were able to produce testable genealogical and biogeographic hypotheses to facilitate further studies.
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