Find research datasets worth reusing

FIGURE S2 in Systematics of big-eyed bats, genus Chiroderma Peters, 1860 (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)

FIGURE S2. Tree obtained from the maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis of Chiroderma inferred from partial sequences of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI). Pie charts on the nodes indicate the support values (UltraFast Bootstrap), where the completely gray circle corresponds to 100%.

FIGURE 28 in Systematics of big-eyed bats, genus Chiroderma Peters, 1860 (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)

FIGURE 28. Collecting localities of the analyzed specimens of Chiroderma improvisum, C. v. villosum and C. v. jesupi. The locality numbers are referenced in the gazetteer (Appendix 1).

FIGURE 35. Phylogenetic relationships between Chiroderma improvisum and C in Systematics of big-eyed bats, genus Chiroderma Peters, 1860 (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)

FIGURE 35. Phylogenetic relationships between Chiroderma improvisum and C. villosum, based on 141 sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene. Localities in parentheses are detailed in the gazetteer (Appendix 1). This subtree is a detailed version of the clades named "improvisum" and "villosum" in figure 4.

FIGURE 30 in Systematics of big-eyed bats, genus Chiroderma Peters, 1860 (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)

FIGURE 30. Skull and mandible, in lateral view, of A) Chiroderma improvisum (TTU 31403—Montserrat) and B) C. villosum (USNM 520557—Panamá).

FIGURE 3 in Systematics of big-eyed bats, genus Chiroderma Peters, 1860 (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)

FIGURE 3. Schematic drawing of the cranium of an adult Chiroderma villosum, based on specimen AMNH 235314, showing the limits of the cranial and dental measurements.

FIGURE 1 in Systematics of big-eyed bats, genus Chiroderma Peters, 1860 (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)

FIGURE 1. Adult male Chiroderma trinitatum captured in Santana do Araguaia, Pará, Brazil, in February 2017 (MZUSP 36012). Note the conspicuous facial stripes and ears with whitish margins.

FIGURE 4 in Systematics of big-eyed bats, genus Chiroderma Peters, 1860 (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)

FIGURE 4. Bayesian phylogeny obtained from the analysis of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) of Chiroderma. The diagram represents the MCC (Maximum Clade Credibility) tree summarizing 22,501 molecular phylogenies. The vertical dashed line indicates the threshold between the between-species Poisson tree processes (PTP) and the within-species PTP. The triangle base lengths are proportional to the sample size of each clade. The posterior probability values are shown above the corresponding branches.

FIGURE 2 in Systematics of big-eyed bats, genus Chiroderma Peters, 1860 (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)

FIGURE 2. Adult female Chiroderma villosum captured in Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, Perú, in August 2016 (ROM F63087). Note the faint facial stripes, the long guard hairs on the head, and the noseleaf with notched tip.

Where are the bats? An environmental complementarity analysis in a megadiverse country

Aim: Field surveys are necessary to overcome Wallacean shortfalls. The task is even more important when human pressure on tropical – megadiverse – ecosystems is considered. However, due to financial constraints, spatial and temporal prioritization is required. Here we used the concept of environmental complementarity to identify non-surveyed regions for bats that are environmentally different from other already surveyed regions. We highlighted regions in Brazil where field inventories could be conducted to locate new occurrences or even new bat species. Location: Brazil. Methods: We based our analysis on environmental characterization aiming to identify dissimilar regions to those already sampled for bats in Brazil. We used 21 environmental variables to characterize 1,531 unique localities where bats occur. Then, we applied the parameters of a generalised linear model (GLM) to extrapolate the expected values of the environmental variables for the entire country. We compared the predicted values of localities with newly described bat species occurrence against the values for other bat species. Results: We found that sites from which recently discovered species were described are environmentally distinct from the sites where previously described species occur. Therefore, new occurrences and even new species could be found in regions that are environmentally dissimilar from those already surveyed. By crossing the model with a human footprint map, we defined temporal priorities for field inventories. Regions such as the Northern Cerrado and Western Caatinga should be surveyed first. Similar approaches could be undertaken for other biological groups or regions, allowing the identification of spatial congruence and the development of a comprehensive national programme for biological field inventories. Main conclusion: Newly described species occurred in environments dissimilar to those previously identified, showing that environmental complementarity analysis is a valid approach to define priority regions for new bat inventories.

Data from: Expressed vomeronasal type-1 receptors (V1rs) in bats uncover conserved sequences underlying social chemical signaling

In mammals, social and reproductive behaviors are mediated by chemical cues encoded by hyperdiverse families of receptors expressed in the vomeronasal organ. Between species, the number of intact receptors can vary by orders of magnitude. However, the evolutionary processes behind variation in receptor number, and its link to fitness-related behaviors are not well understood. From vomeronasal transcriptomes, we discovered the first evidence of intact vomeronasal type-1 receptor (V1r) genes in bats, and we tested whether putatively functional bat receptors were orthologous to those of related taxa, or whether bats have evolved novel receptors. Instead of lineage-specific duplications, we found that bat V1rs in bats show high levels of orthology to those of their relatives, and receptors are under comparative levels of purifying selection compared to non-bats. Despite widespread vomeronasal organ loss in bats, V1r copies have been retained for >65 million years. The highly conserved nature of bat V1rs challenges our current understanding of mammalian V1r function and suggest roles other than conspecific recognition or mating initiation in social behavior.

opencc-zeroSep 2019View details →

Data from: Contributions of bats to the local economy through durian pollination in Sulawesi, Indonesia

Durian is economically important for local livelihoods in Indonesia. Our study investigated the identity of pollinators of semi-wild durian, and subsequently estimated the economic contribution of these pollination services. We conducted pollination exclusion experiments and deployed camera traps at durian trees from October 2017 to January 2018 in an area where the local economy depends on durian production in West Sulawesi, Indonesia. Durian flowers in the experiment that were accessible to bats had significantly higher fruit set compared to flowers that were completely closed to animal visitors or those that could only be visited by insects, suggesting that bats were the primary durian pollinator. The small, highly nectarivorous cave nectar bat (Eonycteris spelaea) visited more inflorescences (n = 25) and had visits of much longer duration (X ̅ = 116.87 sec/visit) than the two species of flying foxes: Pteropus alecto (n = 7 inflorescences visited,X ̅ = 11.07 sec/visit) and Acerodon celebensis (n = 6 inflorescences visited,X ̅ = 11.60 sec/visit). Visits by large and small bats were influential in differentiating successful durian fruit production from unsuccessful. Using a bioeconomic approach, we conservatively estimate that bat pollination services are valued at ~$117/ha/fruiting season. By demonstrating an ecological link between bats and the local economy, this research provides an urgent message for Southeast Asian governments regarding the need to promote bat conservation in order to increase the production of durian grown under semi-wild conditions.

Data from: Individual asymmetry as a predictor of fitness in the bat Carollia perspicillata

The measurement of fitness in wild populations is a challenging task, and a number of proxies have been proposed with different degrees of success. Developmental instability/stability (DI) is an organismal property associated with variance in bilateral asymmetry (fluctuating asymmetry – FA), and a correlated effect on fitness. This study provides evidence to corroborate the hypothesis that asymmetry partly reflects DI and is correlated with a reduction in fitness measured by survival and reproduction in bats. We studied two Colonies of the bat Carollia perspicillata in Southeastern Brazil over five years, marking and recapturing individuals. Gaussian mixture models for signed forearm asymmetry distribution indicated that ~20% of asymmetry variation was due to DI heterogeneity among individuals. Forearm Asymmetry (ForA), Body Condition (Scaled Mass Index – SMI) and Forearm Length (ForL) were used as predictors of survival probability in Cormack-Jolly-Seber models. Asymmetry was negatively associated with survival, whereas SMI and ForL were positively associated. The male C. perspicillata defend sites within the roost that are favoured by female harems, but there are mating opportunities for bachelor males, leading to both territorial disputes and sperm competition. As predicted by sexual selection, ForA was negatively associated with relative Testicle Length, a measure of reproductive potential. In females, ForA was negatively associated with the probability of two pregnancies (as opposed to one) in a given breeding season. The effect magnitudes and directions of associations suggest that asymmetry, even though not perfectly reflecting DI variation, is a useful predictor for fitness components in C. perspicillata.

Data from: High frequency of multiple paternity in Eastern red bats, Lasiurus borealis, based on microsatellite analysis

Most species of bats give birth to only one pup each year, although Eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis) can produce up to five pups per litter. Offspring in a single litter have been documented to be at different stages of development, suggesting that multiple paternity occurs. We tested the null hypothesis of genetic monogamy in red bats using six autosomal microsatellites and one X-linked microsatellite from 31 parent/offspring groups for a total of 128 bats. We sampled both pregnant females and mothers with pups that were obtained from bats submitted to departments of health in Oklahoma and Texas for rabies testing. Multiple paternity was assessed using a maximum-likelihood approach, hypothesis testing, and X-linked locus exclusion. The mean polymorphic information content of our markers was high (0.8819) and combined non-exclusion probability was low (0.00027). Results from the maximum-likelihood approach showed that 22 out of 31 (71%) parent/offspring groups consisted of half siblings, hypothesis testing rejected full sibship in 61% of parent/offspring groups, and X-linked locus exclusion suggested multiple paternity in at least 12 parent/offspring groups, rejecting our hypothesis of genetic monogamy. This frequency of multiple paternity is the highest reported thus far for any bat species. High levels of multiple paternity have the potential to impact interpretations of genetic estimates of effective population size in this species. Further, multiple paternity might be an adaptive strategy to allow for increased genetic variation and large litter size, which would be beneficial to a species threatened by population declines from wind turbines.

A cross-sectional survey on bat human interaction in Pakistan: one health perspective

Background and Aim Serologic evidence has identified Lyssavirus exposure among bats in the Indian subcontinent. This study aims to investigate the perception of people regarding bats and the frequency of bat human interaction with One Health implications. Material and Method A cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured questionnaire among individuals (n=1466) in two distinct topographic residential backgrounds (Mountainous and Plain regions) in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Result A considerable number of respondents (28%) reported bat's left fruits in their gardens. People who saw bat left fruits in their garden had also reported more bat conflict incidences (32%) as compared to those who had not seen bat left fruit (16%). A higher proportion of respondents from the mountainous districts (23%) reported bat conflict incidents, compared to the plain region respondents (17%). Univariate analysis model also highlighted that topographic residential background (mountainous vs plain residential area) had significance (p<0.05) in describing bat conflict and suspected human rabies-related deaths, in comparison with provincial residential background (Punjab vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). Conclusion Our findings indicate the necessity of a One Health comprehensive surveillance system for emerging and re-emerging zoonotic pathogens, including wildlife as a potential Lyssavirus reservoir, within a context of increased public health education efforts targeted at bats. Epidemiologic and ecologic investigations, as well as laboratory characterization of the virus responsible for human deaths in the mountainous regions, in Pakistan, will provide essential information required to develop strategies for zoonotic pathogen prevention and control.

Wing: A suitable non-lethal tissue type for repeatable and rapid telomere length estimates in bats

Telomeres are used increasingly in ecology and evolution as biomarkers for ageing and environmental stress, and are typically measured from DNA extracted from non-lethally sampled blood. However, obtaining blood is not always possible in field conditions and only limited amounts can be taken from small mammals, such as bats, which moreover lack nucleated red blood cells and hence yield relatively low amounts of DNA. As telomere length can vary within species according to age and tissue, it is important to determine which tissues serve best as a representation of the organism as a whole. Here, we investigated whether wing tissue biopsies, a rapid and relatively non-invasive tissue collection method, could serve as a proxy for other tissues when measuring relative telomere length (rTL) in the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus). Telomeres were measured from blood, brain, heart, kidney, liver lung, muscle and wing, and multiple wing biopsies were taken from the same individuals to determine intra-individual repeatability of rTL measured by using qPCR. Wing rTL correlated with rTL estimates from most tissues apart from blood. Blood rTL was not significantly correlated with rTL from any other tissue. Blood and muscle rTL were significantly longer compared with other tissues, while lung displayed the shortest rTLs. Individual repeatability of rTL measures from wing tissue was high (>76%). Here we show the relationships between tissue telomere dynamics for the first time in a bat, and our results provide support for the use of wing tissue for rTL measurements.

opencc-zeroOct 2020View details →

Up in the air: threats to Afromontane biodiversity from climate change and habitat loss revealed by genetic monitoring of the Ethiopian Highlands bat

Whilst climate change is recognised as a major future threat to biodiversity, most species are currently threatened by extensive human-induced habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation. Tropical high altitude alpine and montane forest ecosystems and their biodiversity are particularly sensitive to temperature increases under climate change, but they are also subject to accelerated pressures from land conversion and degradation due to a growing human population. We studied the combined effects of anthropogenic land-use change, past and future climate changes and mountain range isolation on the endemic Ethiopian Highlands long-eared bat, Plecotus balensis, an understudied bat that is restricted to the remnant natural high altitude Afroalpine and Afromontane habitats. We integrated ecological niche modelling, landscape genetics and model-based inference to assess the genetic, geographic and demographic impacts of past and recent environmental changes. We show that mountain range isolation and historic climates shaped population structure and patterns of genetic variation, but recent anthropogenic land-use change and habitat degradation are associated with a severe population decline and loss of genetic diversity. Models predict that the suitable niche of this bat has been progressively shrinking since the last glaciation period. This study highlights threats to Afroalpine and Afromontane biodiversity, squeezed to higher altitudes under climate change while losing genetic diversity and suffering population declines due to anthropogenic land-use change. We conclude that the conservation of tropical montane biodiversity requires a holistic approach, using genetic, ecological and geographic information to understand the effects of environmental changes across temporal scales and simultaneously addressing the impacts of multiple threats.

opencc-zeroOct 2020View details →

Bird species in the diet of the birdlike noctule bat, Nyctalus aviator, in Japan.

We investigate the birds in the diet of the birdlike noctule (Nyctalus aviator) through DNA amplification from feather remains found in fecal pellets. Our goal was to confirm that N. aviator preys on nocturnally migratory species, as does its European relative N. lasiopterus, and to gain insights into this hunting strategy (e.g. on the wing vs. from cavity-nest). The diversity and the characteristics of the birds found in the feces remains indicate that in Japan N. aviator employs a similar hunting strategy on songbirds as N. lasiopterus in Iberia. Both noctules are primarily generalist insectivores that prey on 5-25 g body mass songbirds seasonally during their migration and probably hunt them at high altitude. Accordingly, predation on birds seems to be a strategy that appears in distant points across the Palearctic and is not the result of local specialization. We hypothesize that the bird hunting behavior appeared during evolution as a trophic jump from a pre-existing hunting behavior on the many insects that carry out seasonal nocturnal migrations in temperate zones at high-altitude.

opennotspecifiedDec 2012View details →

Fig. 3 in New look on the geographical variation in Rhinolophus clivosus with description of a new horseshoe bat species from Cyrenaica, Libya

Fig. 3. Bivariate plot of the compared samples of Rhinolophus clivosus s.l.: relative width of rostrum (CC/CM3) against relative length of the mesial part of the upper tooth-row (CP4/CM3).

opennotspecifiedDec 2012View details →

Fig. 1 in New look on the geographical variation in Rhinolophus clivosus with description of a new horseshoe bat species from Cyrenaica, Libya

Fig. 1. Bivariate plot of the compared samples of Rhinolophus clivosus s.l.: condylocanine length of skull (LCc) against zygomatic width (LaZ).