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Diversity
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Diversity Aspects in Bats: Genetics, Morphology, Community Structure
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Diversity Aspects in Bats: Genetics, Morphology, Community Structure

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 March 2021) | Viewed by 36403

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Sergei V. Kruskop

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Zoological Museum, Moscow State University, Bolshaya Nikitskaya 2, 125009 Moscow, Russia
Interests: small mammals; Chiroptera; taxonomy; evolution; morphology; species delimitation; bat fauna; philogeography; bat natural history; Tropical Asia

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Apart from rodents, Chiroptera is the most speciose mammalian group. Together with their almost worldwide distribution and high ecological diversity, this makes bats an extremely important (even key, in many cases) element of various natural communities. This, in turn, determines the necessity for rational conservation measures of bats in all their diversity. However, in order to maintain diversity, it is necessary to thoroughly understand its structure and boundaries and the hierarchy of its constituent elements.

In the 20th century, the understanding of chiropteran taxonomic diversity was largely stagnant. Because of the stability of karyotypes in many bat genera, this order passed the karyological boom, which gave an important impetus to the taxonomic study of rodents and insectivores. As a result, with the beginning of the “molecular era”, bat taxonomy literally exploded: the composition and relationships of almost all taxonomic groups were rearranged, and a huge number of species were described and re-described. However, this process is very far from completion: in many cases, modern studies reveal more questions than they find answers, and the number of recognized species and other taxa is growing steadily. In a series of cases, the identified taxonomic problems indicate the presence of reticular evolutionary processes or show serious discordances between morphology, mitochondrial DNA, and nuclear DNA. The study of such intricate cases, in turn, requires an understanding of the genetic and morphological diversity and historical phylogeography of bats. Morphological and behavioral adaptations allow bats to explore a wide range of ecological niches (often masking visually perceptible boundaries between related and even unrelated taxa) and, in some cases, form rich multi-species bat communities. The knowledge of this aspect of bat diversity, although it has become the subject of multiple special studies, is also far from ultimate.

This planned Special Issue is intended to be devoted to bat diversity: the ratio of genetic diversity identified by markers with different heredity patterns and the reasons for their discordance; morphological diversity and its correlation with revealing genetic lineages; phylogeography as one of the keystones for the formation of intraspecific diversity; a variety of morphological types and behavioral strategies that form the structure of tropical and extra-tropical bat communities; and the diversity of fossil bats and structure of their taphocenoses as a source of modern diversity of the order.

Dr. Sergei V. Kruskop
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Chiroptera
  • evolution
  • phylogeny
  • taxonomy
  • morphology
  • molecular genetics
  • adaptations
  • species delimitation
  • community structure

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 169 KiB  
Editorial
Diversity Aspects in Bats: Genetics, Morphology, Community Structure
by Sergei V. Kruskop
Diversity 2021, 13(9), 424; https://doi.org/10.3390/d13090424 - 2 Sep 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3879
Abstract
Bats are the second largest order of mammals, with about 1400 known species [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity Aspects in Bats: Genetics, Morphology, Community Structure)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

15 pages, 7910 KiB  
Communication
Importance of Mangroves for Bat Research and Conservation: A Case Study from Vietnam with Notes on Echolocation of Myotis hasselti
by Vu Dinh Thong, Annette Denzinger, Vu Long, Nguyen Van Sang, Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen, Nguyen Hoang Thien, Nguyen Khanh Luong, Le Quang Tuan, Nguyen Manh Ha, Nguyen Thanh Luong and Hans-Ulrich Schnitzler
Diversity 2022, 14(4), 258; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14040258 - 30 Mar 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3669
Abstract
Mangrove ecosystems play important ecological roles, including the mitigation of global climate change and biodiversity conservation. However, they have received little attention from scientists for the research and conservation of bats and general biodiversity. In Vietnam, bat species inhabiting mangroves have been relatively [...] Read more.
Mangrove ecosystems play important ecological roles, including the mitigation of global climate change and biodiversity conservation. However, they have received little attention from scientists for the research and conservation of bats and general biodiversity. In Vietnam, bat species inhabiting mangroves have been relatively unstudied, while this ecosystem is located along the country’s coastal zones and has declined dramatically due to the development of agriculture, wind energy and other threats. To initially fill this gap, five bat surveys were conducted between September 2019 and November 2021 within Ha Long Bay and Ben Tre province, which contain representative mangrove areas of northern and southern regions of Vietnam, respectively. Bats were captured using mist nets, mobile nets and hand nets. Their echolocation calls were recorded and analyzed using the PCTape system and Selena software, respectively. Five species were captured and recorded: Cynopterus brachyotis, Macroglossus minimus, Myotis hasselti, Myotis pilosus and Taphozous melanopogon. They are all new to both Ha Long Bay and Ben Tre province. Four species (C. brachyotis, M. minimus, M. hasselti and M. pilosus) have been rarely documented from other ecosystems in Vietnam but have commonly been recorded and captured in mangrove areas. Of these species, M. pilosus is a globally “Vulnerable” species. While searching for prey, Myotis hasselti emitted high energy echolocation calls sweeping from about 96 to about 24 kHz with a signal duration of about 5 ms. This species sometimes uses social calls of a horseshoe-shaped structure, which last about 15 ms and are emitted about 26 ms in front of a search call. Results from our surveys indicated the importance and potential of mangroves for bat research and conservation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity Aspects in Bats: Genetics, Morphology, Community Structure)
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28 pages, 25104 KiB  
Article
Bat Diversity in Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve, Northeastern Vietnam: A Review with New Records from Mangrove Ecosystem
by Vu Dinh Thong, Annette Denzinger, Nguyen Van Sang, Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen, Hoang Trung Thanh, Dao Nhan Loi, Pham Van Nha, Nguyen Van Viet, Pham Duc Tien, Mao-Ning Tuanmu, Joe Chun-Chia Huang, Ladthavong Thongphachanh, Nguyen Thanh Luong and Hans-Ulrich Schnitzler
Diversity 2021, 13(8), 376; https://doi.org/10.3390/d13080376 - 14 Aug 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 7437
Abstract
The Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve is internationally renowned for its spectacular karst landscape. It covers a large area with hundreds of limestone islands and various ecosystems including caves, tropical forests, and mangroves. However, previous surveys were only conducted in terrestrial ecosystems on Cat [...] Read more.
The Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve is internationally renowned for its spectacular karst landscape. It covers a large area with hundreds of limestone islands and various ecosystems including caves, tropical forests, and mangroves. However, previous surveys were only conducted in terrestrial ecosystems on Cat Ba Island. Therefore, bats inhabiting mangroves and the remaining islands did not receive attention from scientists up to 2014. To initially fill in the gaps, we conducted ten bat surveys between 2015 and 2020 with an emphasis on mangroves and previously unsurveyed islands. Bats were captured using mist nets and harp traps. Twenty-three species belonging to 13 genera of six families were recorded during the surveys. Of these, four species (Macroglossus minimus, Myotis hasselti, Phoniscus jagorii, Tylonycteris fulvida) are new to the reserve. Remarkably, 15 species belonging to seven genera of five families were captured in mangrove, which is the highest species diversity for bats reported from any mangrove area in mainland Southeast Asia. Based on results from the surveys and literature review, we here provide the most updated bat diversity of the reserve with confirmed records of 32 bat species belonging to 16 genera of six families. Historical records of each species in the literature were reviewed. Two species, Scotophilus heathi and Scotophilus kuhlii, are unconfirmed because of unclear evidence in previous publications. Results of this study indicated that the mangrove ecosystem is important for bats but still poorly studied in Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve and Vietnam as a whole. In addition, morphological measurements, echolocation data, distributional records, and conservation status of each species are also given in this paper for potential research and conservation campaigns in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity Aspects in Bats: Genetics, Morphology, Community Structure)
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17 pages, 15325 KiB  
Article
Not the Cryptic Species: Diversity of Hipposideros gentilis (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae) in Indochina
by Alexander P. Yuzefovich, Ilya V. Artyushin and Sergei V. Kruskop
Diversity 2021, 13(5), 218; https://doi.org/10.3390/d13050218 - 19 May 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3387
Abstract
We present here the result of phylogenetic analysis for Vietnamese Hipposideros gentilis specimens using 7 nuclear genes and one mitochondrial gene. The complex distribution of divergent mitochondrial DNA lineages contradicts, at least in part, nuclear and morphological data. The most likely explanation [...] Read more.
We present here the result of phylogenetic analysis for Vietnamese Hipposideros gentilis specimens using 7 nuclear genes and one mitochondrial gene. The complex distribution of divergent mitochondrial DNA lineages contradicts, at least in part, nuclear and morphological data. The most likely explanation for this discordance is the historical hybridization between ancestral populations of H. gentilis and H. rotalis/H. khaokhouayensis. Our data supports the species status of H. gentilis, while only partially corroborating its previously proposed subspecies delimitation. We suggest the lowland forest populations from south Vietnam may correspond to their own subspecies. At the same time, the close phylogenetic relationship and morphological similarity of mountain forms from south and central Vietnam to the north Vietnamese populations make doubtful the subspecies status of H. gentilis sinensis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity Aspects in Bats: Genetics, Morphology, Community Structure)
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18 pages, 2487 KiB  
Article
Genetic Introgression and Morphological Variation in Naked-Back Bats (Chiroptera: Mormoopidae: Pteronotus Species) along Their Contact Zone in Central America
by Aline Méndez-Rodríguez, Javier Juste, Alejandro Centeno-Cuadros, Flor Rodríguez-Gómez, Alejandra Serrato-Díaz, Juan Luis García-Mudarra, Luis Manuel Guevara-Chumacero and Ricardo López-Wilchis
Diversity 2021, 13(5), 194; https://doi.org/10.3390/d13050194 - 30 Apr 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 5328
Abstract
Two sibling bare-backed bat species (Pteronotus fulvus and P. gymnonotus) have been traditionally differentiated by their size. However, intermediate specimens between the two species have been found in sympatric populations along southern Mexico and it has been suggested that they may [...] Read more.
Two sibling bare-backed bat species (Pteronotus fulvus and P. gymnonotus) have been traditionally differentiated by their size. However, intermediate specimens between the two species have been found in sympatric populations along southern Mexico and it has been suggested that they may be the outcome of a hybridization process between the two species. We used one mitochondrial (COI), three nuclear markers (PRKCL, STAT5A and RAG2) and 13 microsatellites to explore the evolutionary relationships between these two species and elucidate whether the intermediate morphotypes correspond to hybrid individuals. These markers have been analyzed in sympatric and allopatric populations of the two species plus the closely related species Pteronotus davyi. We confirmed the species-level differentiation of the three lineages (P. fulvus, P. davyi and P. gymnonotus), but the phylogenetic hypotheses suggested by the nuclear and mitochondrial markers were discordant. We confirm that the discordance between markers is due to genetic introgression through the mitochondrial capture of P. fulvus in P. gymnonotus populations. Such introgression was found in all P. gymnonotus specimens across its sympatric distribution range (Mexico to Costa Rica) and is related to expansion/retraction species distribution pulses associated with changes in forest distribution during the Quaternary climate cycles. Microsatellite analyses showed contemporary genetic contact between the two sympatric species and 3.0% of the samples studied were identified as hybrids. In conclusion, we found a historical and asymmetric genetic introgression (through mitochondrial capture) of P. fulvus into P. gymnonotus in Mexico and Central America and a limited contemporary gene exchange between the two species. However, no relationship was found between hybridization and the intermediate-sized specimens from southern Mexico, which might likely result from a clinal variation with latitude. These results confirm the need for caution when using forearm size to identify these species in the field and when differentiating them in the laboratory based on mitochondrial DNA alone. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity Aspects in Bats: Genetics, Morphology, Community Structure)
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18 pages, 1825 KiB  
Article
Genetic Consequences of Forest Fragmentation in a Widespread Forest Bat (Natalus mexicanus, Chiroptera: Natalidae)
by Ricardo López-Wilchis, Aline Méndez-Rodríguez, Javier Juste, Alejandra Serrato-Díaz, Flor Rodríguez-Gómez and Luis Manuel Guevara-Chumacero
Diversity 2021, 13(4), 140; https://doi.org/10.3390/d13040140 - 25 Mar 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3167
Abstract
Recent historical and anthropogenic changes in the landscape causing habitat fragmentation can disrupt the connectivity of wild populations and pose a threat to the genetic diversity of multiple species. This study investigated the effect of habitat fragmentation on the structure and genetic diversity [...] Read more.
Recent historical and anthropogenic changes in the landscape causing habitat fragmentation can disrupt the connectivity of wild populations and pose a threat to the genetic diversity of multiple species. This study investigated the effect of habitat fragmentation on the structure and genetic diversity of the Mexican greater funnel-eared bat (Natalus mexicanus) throughout its distribution range in Mexico, whose natural habitat has decreased dramatically in recent years. Genetic structure and diversity were measured using the HVII hypervariable domain of the mitochondrial control region and ten nuclear microsatellite loci, to analyze historical and contemporary information, respectively. The mitochondrial and nuclear results pointed to a differential genetic structuring, derived mainly from philopatry in females. Our results also showed that genetic diversity was historically high and currently moderate; additionally, the contemporary gene flow between the groups observed was null. These findings confirm that the effects of habitat fragmentation have started to be expressed in populations and that forest loss is already building barriers to contemporary gene flow. The concern is that gene flow is a process essential to ensure that the genetic diversity of N. mexicanus populations (and probably of many other forest species) distributed in Mexico is preserved or increased in the long term by maintaining forest connectivity between locations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity Aspects in Bats: Genetics, Morphology, Community Structure)
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20 pages, 1816 KiB  
Article
Landscape and Species Traits Co-Drive Roadkills of Bats in a Subtropical Island
by Joe Chun-Chia Huang, Wan-Jyun Chen and Te-En Lin
Diversity 2021, 13(3), 117; https://doi.org/10.3390/d13030117 - 10 Mar 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3410
Abstract
The expansion of roads has threatened wildlife populations by driving casualties due to vehicle collisions. However, the ecological drivers of wildlife roadkills are not yet fully explored. We investigated the strength of landscape features and ecomorphological traits in determining spatial patterns of bat [...] Read more.
The expansion of roads has threatened wildlife populations by driving casualties due to vehicle collisions. However, the ecological drivers of wildlife roadkills are not yet fully explored. We investigated the strength of landscape features and ecomorphological traits in determining spatial patterns of bat roadkills in Taiwan. In total, 661 roadkills that belonged to 20 bat species were acquired by citizen scientists between 2011 and 2019. The number and species richness of victim bats declined with increasing elevations with varying species compositions. Elevation and artificial light had significantly negative effects on the occurrence of roadkill, whereas protected area and its interaction with elevation had positive effects. Ordination analyses showed that roadkills were driven by different ecomorphological traits and landscape features. At low elevations, road casualties were associated with an aerial hawking hunting strategy. At higher elevations, roadkills were associated with higher elevational distribution. Roadkills of non-cave bats were associated with brighter environments, suggesting that bats might be exposed to higher risk when hunting insects near artificial light. Our findings suggest that management agencies shall consider both species traits and landscape features when planning impact assessments and mitigation practices of roadkills for bats and probably other wildlife, particularly when long environmental gradients are covered. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity Aspects in Bats: Genetics, Morphology, Community Structure)
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10 pages, 1988 KiB  
Article
Description of Echolocation Call Parameters for Urban Bats in Vietnam as a Step Towards a More Integrated Acoustic Monitoring of Urban Wildlife in Southeast Asia
by Long Kim Pham, Bang Van Tran, Quy Tan Le, Trung Thanh Nguyen and Christian C. Voigt
Diversity 2021, 13(1), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/d13010018 - 6 Jan 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3691
Abstract
This study is the first step towards more systematic monitoring of urban bat fauna in Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries by collecting bat echolocation call parameters in Ho Chi Minh and Tra Vinh cities. We captured urban bats and then recorded echolocation [...] Read more.
This study is the first step towards more systematic monitoring of urban bat fauna in Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries by collecting bat echolocation call parameters in Ho Chi Minh and Tra Vinh cities. We captured urban bats and then recorded echolocation calls after releasing in a tent. Additional bat’s echolocation calls from the free-flying bats were recorded at the site where we captured bat. We used the obtained echolocation call parameters for a discriminant function analysis to test the accuracy of classifying these species based on their echolocation call parameters. Data from this pilot work revealed a low level of diversity for the studied bat assemblages. Additionally, the discriminant function analysis successfully classified bats to four bat species with an accuracy of >87.4%. On average, species assignments were correct for all calls from Taphozous melanopogon (100% success rate), for 70% of calls from Pipistrellus javanicus, for 80.8% of calls from Myotis hasseltii and 67.3% of calls from Scotophilus kuhlii. Our study comprises the first quantitative description of echolocation call parameters for urban bats of Vietnam. The success in classifying urban bats based on their echolocation call parameters provides a promising baseline for monitoring the effect of urbanization on bat assemblages in Vietnam and potentially also other Southeast Asian countries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity Aspects in Bats: Genetics, Morphology, Community Structure)
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