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Chornelia A, Lu J, Hughes AC. How to Accurately Delineate Morphologically Conserved Taxa and Diagnose Their Phenotypic Disparities: Species Delimitation in Cryptic Rhinolophidae (Chiroptera). Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.854509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Systematics and taxonomy are the backbone of all components of biology and ecology, yet cryptic species present a major challenge for accurate species identification. This is especially problematic as they represent a substantial portion of undiscovered biodiversity, and have implications for not only species conservation, but even assaying potential risk of zoonotic spillover. Here, we use integrative approaches to delineate potential cryptic species in horseshoe bats (Rhinolophidae), evaluate the phenotypic disparities between cryptic species, and identify key traits for their identification. We tested the use of multispecies coalescent models (MSC) using Bayesian Phylogenetic and Phylogeography (BPP) and found that BPP was useful in delineating potential cryptic species, and consistent with acoustic traits. Our results show that around 40% of Asian rhinolophid species are potentially cryptic and have not been formally described. In order to avoid potential misidentification and allow species to be accurately identified, we identified quantitative noseleaf sella and acoustic characters as the most informative traits in delineating between potential cryptic species in Rhinolophidae. This highlights the physical differences between cryptic species that are apparent in noseleaf traits which often only qualitatively described but rarely measured. Each part of the noseleaf including the sella, lateral lappets, and lancet furrows, play roles in focusing acoustic beams and thus, provide useful characteristics to identify cryptic Rhinolophus species. Finally, species delimitation for cryptic species cannot rely on genetic data alone, but such data should be complemented by other evidence, including phenotypic, acoustic data, and geographic distributions to ensure accurate species identification and delineation.
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Do We Need to Use Bats as Bioindicators? BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10080693. [PMID: 34439926 PMCID: PMC8389320 DOI: 10.3390/biology10080693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary Bioindicators are organisms that react to the quality or characteristics of the environment and their changes. They are vitally important to track environmental alterations and take action to mitigate them. As choosing the right bioindicators has important policy implications, it is crucial to select them to tackle clear goals rather than selling specific organisms as bioindicators for other reasons, such as for improving their public profile and encourage species conservation. Bats are a species-rich mammal group that provide key services such as pest suppression, pollination of plants of economic importance or seed dispersal. Bats show clear reactions to environmental alterations and as such have been proposed as potentially useful bioindicators. Based on the relatively limited number of studies available, bats are likely excellent indicators in habitats such as rivers, forests, and urban sites. However, more testing across broad geographic areas is needed, and establishing research networks is fundamental to reach this goal. Some limitations to using bats as bioindicators exist, such as difficulties in separating cryptic species and identifying bats in flight from their calls. It is often also problematic to establish the environmental factors that influence the distribution and behaviour of bats. Abstract Bats show responses to anthropogenic stressors linked to changes in other ecosystem components such as insects, and as K-selected mammals, exhibit fast population declines. This speciose, widespread mammal group shows an impressive trophic diversity and provides key ecosystem services. For these and other reasons, bats might act as suitable bioindicators in many environmental contexts. However, few studies have explicitly tested this potential, and in some cases, stating that bats are useful bioindicators more closely resembles a slogan to support conservation than a well-grounded piece of scientific evidence. Here, we review the available information and highlight the limitations that arise in using bats as bioindicators. Based on the limited number of studies available, the use of bats as bioindicators is highly promising and warrants further investigation in specific contexts such as river quality, urbanisation, farming practices, forestry, bioaccumulation, and climate change. Whether bats may also serve as surrogate taxa remains a controversial yet highly interesting matter. Some limitations to using bats as bioindicators include taxonomical issues, sampling problems, difficulties in associating responses with specific stressors, and geographically biased or delayed responses. Overall, we urge the scientific community to test bat responses to specific stressors in selected ecosystem types and develop research networks to explore the geographic consistency of such responses. The high cost of sampling equipment (ultrasound detectors) is being greatly reduced by technological advances, and the legal obligation to monitor bat populations already existing in many countries such as those in the EU offers an important opportunity to accomplish two objectives (conservation and bioindication) with one action.
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Di Gregorio C, Iannella M, Biondi M. Revealing the role of past and current climate in shaping the distribution of two parapatric European bats, Myotis daubentonii and M. capaccinii. THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2021.1918275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- C. Di Gregorio
- Department of Biogeography, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - M. Iannella
- Department of Life, Health & Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - M. Biondi
- Department of Life, Health & Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
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Borloti I, Dinis H, Vasconcelos R. Bats Out of Africa: Disentangling the Systematic Position and Biogeography of Bats in Cabo Verde. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11080877. [PMID: 32752266 PMCID: PMC7464910 DOI: 10.3390/genes11080877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cabo Verde Archipelago presents one of the largest knowledge gaps in the distribution and taxonomy of bats in the world. Old works indicated that there are five species classified as European taxa. We have conducted an integrative taxonomy to revise the systematic position and distribution of Cabo Verdean bats with molecular, morphological, and ecological data, to test their native or exotic origin, and infer possible colonization patterns based on fieldwork and museum samples. Results showed that Cabo Verde Hypsugo is closely related to those from the Canary Islands, in which the taxonomic status is under debate, presenting unique mitochondrial and nuclear haplotypes. We also expanded the distribution of Taphozous nudiventris for Fogo Island through pellets and acoustic identification, showed unique haplotypes for this species, and that Miniopterus schreibersii shared a haplotype with European, North African, and Western Asian specimens. The morphological and acoustic identification of Cabo Verdean specimens was challenging because of the lack of modern morphological descriptions and similarity of echolocation calls within the same genus. More studies are definitely needed to access the systematic of bat species in the archipelago, but this work is the first step for the establishment of conservation actions of the probable only native Cabo Verdean mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ianna Borloti
- CIBIO-InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal;
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Herculano Dinis
- Parque Natural do Fogo, Direcção Nacional do Ambiente, 115 Chã d’Areia—Praia, Santiago, São Lourenço dos Orgãos CP 84, Cape Verde;
- Associação Projecto Vitó, 8234 Xaguate, Cidade de São Filipe, Fogo 8220, Cabo Verde
| | - Raquel Vasconcelos
- CIBIO-InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +351-252-660-400
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Amorim F, Razgour O, Mata VA, Lopes S, Godinho R, Ibáñez C, Juste J, Rossiter SJ, Beja P, Rebelo H. Evolutionary history of the European free‐tailed bat, a tropical affinity species spanning across the Mediterranean Basin. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Amorim
- CIBIO‐InBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources University of Porto Vairão Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências Universidade do Porto Porto Portugal
| | - Orly Razgour
- Biological Sciences University of Southampton Southampton UK
| | - Vanessa A. Mata
- CIBIO‐InBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources University of Porto Vairão Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências Universidade do Porto Porto Portugal
| | - Susana Lopes
- CIBIO‐InBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources University of Porto Vairão Portugal
| | - Raquel Godinho
- CIBIO‐InBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources University of Porto Vairão Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências Universidade do Porto Porto Portugal
- Department of Zoology University of Johannesburg South Africa
| | | | - Javier Juste
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC) Seville Spain
| | - Stephen J. Rossiter
- School of Biological & Chemical Sciences Queen Mary University of London London UK
| | - Pedro Beja
- CIBIO‐InBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources University of Porto Vairão Portugal
- CIBIO‐InBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Institute of Agronomy University of Lisbon Lisbon Portugal
| | - Hugo Rebelo
- CIBIO‐InBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources University of Porto Vairão Portugal
- CIBIO‐InBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Institute of Agronomy University of Lisbon Lisbon Portugal
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Bartonička T, Miketová N, Hulva P. High Throughput Bioacoustic Monitoring and Phenology of the Greater Noctule Bat (Nyctalus lasiopterus) Compared to Other Migratory Species. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2019. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2019.21.1.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tomáš Bartonička
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Nikola Miketová
- Department of Biology and Ecology, University of Ostrava, Chittussiho 10, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Hulva
- Vertebrate Zoology Research Group,Department of Zoology,Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 42 Prague, Czech Republic
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Schebeck M, Schuler H, Einramhof B, Avtzis DN, Dowle EJ, Faccoli M, Battisti A, Ragland GJ, Stauffer C, Bertheau C. The Apennines as a cryptic Pleistocene refugium of the bark beetle Pityogenes chalcographus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019; 127:24-33. [PMID: 31186586 PMCID: PMC6557710 DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The Apennine Mountains in Italy are an important biogeographical region and of particular interest in phylogeographical research, because they have been a refugium during Pleistocene glaciation events for numerous European species. We performed a genetic study on the Eurasian bark beetle Pityogenes chalcographus (Linnaeus, 1760), focusing on two Apennine (Italian) and two Central European (Austrian) locations to assess the influence of the Apennines in the evolutionary history of the beetle, particularly during the Pleistocene. We analysed a part of the mitochondrial COI gene and a set of 5470 informative genome-wide markers to understand its biogeography. We found 75 distinct mitochondrial haplotypes, which are structured in three main clades. In general, the Apennine locations harbour a higher number of mitochondrial clades than Central European sites, with one specific clade exclusively detected in the Apennines. Analysis of our genome-wide, multi-locus dataset reveals a clustering of P. chalcographus by geography, with Italian individuals clearly separated from Austrian samples. Our data highlight the significance of the Apennines for the genetic diversity of P. chalcographus and support the hypothesis that this area was an important refugium during unfavourable conditions in the Pleistocene. We discuss additional life-history traits and processes that shaped the evolution of this widespread beetle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Schebeck
- Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, BOKU, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hannes Schuler
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bozen-Bolzano, Italy
| | - Birgit Einramhof
- Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, BOKU, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dimitrios N Avtzis
- Forest Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Eddy J Dowle
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, USA.,Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Massimo Faccoli
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Andrea Battisti
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Gregory J Ragland
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Christian Stauffer
- Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, BOKU, Vienna, Austria
| | - Coralie Bertheau
- Laboratoire Chrono-Environnement, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Pôle Universitaire du Pays de Montbéliard, Montbéliard, France
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Ancillotto L, Mori E, Bosso L, Agnelli P, Russo D. The Balkan long-eared bat (Plecotus kolombatovici) occurs in Italy – first confirmed record and potential distribution. Mamm Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2019.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Juste J, Ruedi M, Puechmaille SJ, Salicini I, Ibáñez C. Two New Cryptic Bat Species within the Myotis nattereri Species Complex (Vespertilionidae, Chiroptera) from the Western Palaearctic. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2019. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2018.20.2.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Javier Juste
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Manuel Ruedi
- Natural History Museum of Geneva, P.O. Box, 6334, 1211 Genève 6, Switzerland
| | | | - Irene Salicini
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Carlos Ibáñez
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
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Andriollo T, Ashrafi S, Arlettaz R, Ruedi M. Porous barriers? Assessment of gene flow within and among sympatric long-eared bat species. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:12841-12854. [PMID: 30619587 PMCID: PMC6309003 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Revised: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Species are the basic units for measuring biodiversity and for comprehending biological interactions. Yet, their delineation is often contentious, especially in groups that are both diverse and phenotypically conservative. Three cryptic species of long-eared bats, Plecotus auritus, P. austriacus, and P. macrobullaris, co-occur over extensive areas of Western Europe. The latter is a fairly recent discovery, questioning the overall diversity of the entire Plecotus complex. Yet, high morphological and acoustic similarities compromise the reliable identification of long-eared bats in the field. We postulate that such extensive phenotypic overlap, along with the recurrent observation of morphologically intermediate individuals, may hide rampant interspecific hybridization. Based on a geographic sampling centered on areas of sympatry in the Alps and Corsica, we assessed the level of reproductive isolation of these three Plecotus species with mitochondrial and nuclear markers, looking at both inter- and intraspecific genetic population structuring. No sign of hybridization was detected between these three species that appear well separated biologically. Genetic structuring of populations, however, reflected different species-specific responses to environmental connectivity, that is, to the presence of orographic or sea barriers. While the Alpine range and the Ligurian Sea coincided with sharp genetic discontinuities in P. macrobullaris and P. austriacus, the more ubiquitous P. auritus showed no significant population structuration. There were clear phylogeographic discrepancies between microsatellite and mitochondrial markers at the intraspecific level, however, which challenges the reliance on simple barcoding approaches for the delineation of sound conservation units.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommy Andriollo
- Department of Mammalogy and OrnithologyNatural History Museum of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
- Section of Biology, Faculty of SciencesUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Sohrab Ashrafi
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural ResourcesUniversity of TehranKarajIran
| | - Raphaël Arlettaz
- Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Manuel Ruedi
- Department of Mammalogy and OrnithologyNatural History Museum of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
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Cold-blooded in the Ice Age: “refugia within refugia”, inter-and intraspecific biogeographic diversification of European whipsnakes (Squamata, Colubridae, Hierophis ). ZOOLOGY 2018; 127:84-94. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2018.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 01/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Chaverri G, Garin I, Alberdi A, Jimenez L, Castillo-Salazar C, Aihartza J. Unveiling the Hidden Bat Diversity of a Neotropical Montane Forest. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0162712. [PMID: 27706168 PMCID: PMC5051729 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mountain environments, characterized by high levels of endemism, are at risk of experiencing significant biodiversity loss due to current trends in global warming. While many acknowledge their importance and vulnerability, these ecosystems still remain poorly studied, particularly for taxa that are difficult to sample such as bats. Aiming to estimate the amount of cryptic diversity among bats of a Neotropical montane cloud forest in Talamanca Range—south-east Central America—, we performed a 15-night sampling campaign, which resulted in 90 captured bats belonging to 8 species. We sequenced their mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and screened their inter- and intraspecific genetic variation. Phylogenetic relations with conspecifics and closely related species from other geographic regions were established using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian inference methods, as well as median-joining haplotype networks. Mitochondrial lineages highly divergent from hitherto characterized populations (> 9% COI dissimilarity) were found in Myotis oxyotus and Hylonycteris underwoodi. Sturnira burtonlimi and M. keaysi also showed distinct mitochondrial structure with sibling species and/or populations. These results suggest that mountains in the region hold a high degree of endemicity potential that has previously been ignored in bats. They also warn of the high extinction risk montane bats may be facing due to climatic change, particularly in isolated mountain systems like Talamanca Range.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Inazio Garin
- Dpt. Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, University of The Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, The Basque Country
| | - Antton Alberdi
- Dpt. Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, University of The Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, The Basque Country
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Lide Jimenez
- Dpt. Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, University of The Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, The Basque Country
| | | | - Joxerra Aihartza
- Dpt. Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, University of The Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, The Basque Country
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Russo D, Billington G, Bontadina F, Dekker J, Dietz M, Gazaryan S, Jones G, Meschede A, Rebelo H, Reiter G, Ruczyński I, Tillon L, Twisk P. Identifying Key Research Objectives to Make European Forests Greener for Bats. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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López-Wilchis R, Flores-Romero M, Guevara-Chumacero LM, Serrato-Díaz A, Díaz-Larrea J, Salgado-Mejia F, Ibañez C, Salles LO, Juste J. Evolutionary Scenarios Associated with thePteronotus parnelliiCryptic Species-Complex (Chiroptera: Mormoopidae). ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2016. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2016.18.1.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Gager Y, Tarland E, Lieckfeldt D, Ménage M, Botero-Castro F, Rossiter SJ, Kraus RHS, Ludwig A, Dechmann DKN. The Value of Molecular vs. Morphometric and Acoustic Information for Species Identification Using Sympatric Molossid Bats. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150780. [PMID: 26943355 PMCID: PMC4778951 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental condition for any work with free-ranging animals is correct species identification. However, in case of bats, information on local species assemblies is frequently limited especially in regions with high biodiversity such as the Neotropics. The bat genus Molossus is a typical example of this, with morphologically similar species often occurring in sympatry. We used a multi-method approach based on molecular, morphometric and acoustic information collected from 962 individuals of Molossus bondae, M. coibensis, and M. molossus captured in Panama. We distinguished M. bondae based on size and pelage coloration. We identified two robust species clusters composed of M. molossus and M. coibensis based on 18 microsatellite markers but also on a more stringently determined set of four markers. Phylogenetic reconstructions using the mitochondrial gene co1 (DNA barcode) were used to diagnose these microsatellite clusters as M. molossus and M. coibensis. To differentiate species, morphological information was only reliable when forearm length and body mass were combined in a linear discriminant function (95.9% correctly identified individuals). When looking in more detail at M. molossus and M. coibensis, only four out of 13 wing parameters were informative for species differentiation, with M. coibensis showing lower values for hand wing area and hand wing length and higher values for wing loading. Acoustic recordings after release required categorization of calls into types, yielding only two informative subsets: approach calls and two-toned search calls. Our data emphasizes the importance of combining morphological traits and independent genetic data to inform the best choice and combination of discriminatory information used in the field. Because parameters can vary geographically, the multi-method approach may need to be adjusted to local species assemblies and populations to be entirely informative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann Gager
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Organismal Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Emilia Tarland
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz-Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dietmar Lieckfeldt
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz-Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthieu Ménage
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Fidel Botero-Castro
- Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution, UMR 5554-CNRS-IRD, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Stephen J. Rossiter
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert H. S. Kraus
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Arne Ludwig
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz-Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dina K. N. Dechmann
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá, Rep. of Panamá
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