Distinct Genes with Similar Functions Underlie Convergent Evolution in Myotis Bat Ecomorphs.

Convergence offers an opportunity to explore to what extent evolution can be predictable when genomic composition and environmental triggers are similar. Here, we present an emergent model system to study convergent evolution in nature in a mammalian group, the bat genus Myotis. Three foraging strategies-gleaning, trawling, and aerial hawking, each characterized by different sets of phenotypic features-have evolved independently multiple times in different biogeographic regions in isolation for millions of years.

The genome sequence of Daubenton's bat, (Kuhl, 1817).

We present a genome assembly from an individual male (Daubenton's bat; Chordata; Mammalia; Chiroptera; Vespertilionidae). The genome sequence is 2,127.8 megabases in span.

The genome sequence of the Soprano Pipistrelle, (Leach, 1825).

We present a genome assembly from an individual male (the Soprano Pipistrelle; Chordata; Mammalia; Chiroptera; Vespertilionidae). The genome sequence is 1,895.1 megabases in span.

Karyotypic stasis and swarming influenced the evolution of viral tolerance in a species-rich bat radiation.

The emergence of COVID-19 and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has prioritized understanding bats' viral tolerance. Myotis bats are exceptionally species rich and have evolved viral tolerance. They also exhibit swarming, a cryptic behavior where large, multi-species assemblages gather for mating, which has been hypothesized to promote interspecific hybridization.

Out of Southeast Asia: A new species of thick-thumbed bat (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae: Glischropus) from Meghalaya, north-eastern India.

Thick-thumbed bats of the genus Glischropus are currently composed of four recognized species from Southeast Asia, two of which were described in recent times. Among these species, G. aquilus is endemic to Sumatra, G.

Citizen science and online data: Opportunities and challenges for snake ecology and action against snakebite.

The secretive behavior and life history of snakes makes studying their biology, distribution, and the epidemiology of venomous snakebite challenging. One of the most useful, most versatile, and easiest to collect types of biological data are photographs, particularly those that are connected with geographic location and date-time metadata. Photos verify occurrence records, provide data on phenotypes and ecology, and are often used to illustrate new species descriptions, field guides and identification keys, as well as in training humans and computer vision algorithms to identify snakes.

Food for everyone: Differential feeding habits of cryptic bat species inferred from DNA metabarcoding.

Ecological theory postulates that niches of co-occurring species must differ along some ecological dimensions in order to allow their stable coexistence. Yet, many biological systems challenge this competitive exclusion principle. Insectivorous bats from the Northern Hemisphere typically form local assemblages of multiple species sharing highly similar functional traits and pertaining to identical feeding guilds.

Philippine bats of the genus Kerivoula (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae): Overview and assessment of variation in K. pellucida and K. whiteheadi.

Bats of the genus Kerivoula (Mammalia, Chiroptera) are widespread in the Philippines with four reported species, but have been poorly known due to a paucity of specimens. We provide the first molecular phylogeny for Philippine Kerivoula, which supports the existence of four distinct clades that we treat as species (K. hardwickii, K.

Diversification rates have no effect on the convergent evolution of foraging strategies in the most speciose genus of bats, Myotis.

Adaptive radiations are defined as rapid diversification with phenotypic innovation led by colonization to new environments. Notably, adaptive radiations can occur in parallel when habitats with similar selective pressures are accessible promoting convergent adaptions. Although convergent evolution appears to be a common process, it is unclear what are the main drivers leading the reappearance of morphologies or ecological roles.

The menu varies with metabarcoding practices: A case study with the bat Plecotus auritus.

Metabarcoding of feces has revolutionized the knowledge of animal diets by providing unprecedented resolution of consumed resources. However, it is still unclear how different methodological approaches influence the ecological conclusions that can be drawn from such data. Here, we propose a critical evaluation of several data treatments on the inferred diet of the bat Plecotus auritus using guano regularly collected from various colonies throughout the entire active season.

Porous barriers? Assessment of gene flow within and among sympatric long-eared bat species.

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, , and , co-occur over extensive areas of Western Europe.

The taxonomic status of Myotis aelleni Baud, 1979 (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae).

Myotis aelleni Baud, 1979 was described based on a large series from Chubut, Argentina, and is known only from the type locality and Río Negro, also in Argentina. According to the original description, M. aelleni is closest morphologically to M.

A new genus and species of vespertilionid bat from the Indomalayan Region.

Bats belonging to the subfamily Vespertilioninae are diverse and cosmopolitan, but their systematic arrangement remains a challenge. Previous molecular surveys suggested new and unexpected relationships of some members compared to more traditional, morphology-based classifications, and revealed the existence of taxonomically undefined lineages. We describe here a new genus and species corresponding to an enigmatic lineage that was previously identified within the genus in the Indomalayan Region.

Evolution of immune chemoreceptors into sensors of the outside world.

Changes in gene expression patterns represent an essential source of evolutionary innovation. A striking case of neofunctionalization is the acquisition of neuronal specificity by immune formyl peptide receptors (Fprs). In mammals, Fprs are expressed by immune cells, where they detect pathogenic and inflammatory chemical cues.

Two Mitochondrial Barcodes for one Biological Species: The Case of European Kuhl's Pipistrelles (Chiroptera).

The Kuhl's pipistrelle (Pipistrellus kuhlii) is a Western Palaearctic species of bat that exhibits several deeply divergent mitochondrial lineages across its range. These lineages could represent cryptic species or merely ancient polymorphism, but no nuclear markers have been studied so far to properly assess the taxonomic status of these lineages. We examined here two lineages occurring in Western Europe, and used both mitochondrial and nuclear markers to measure degrees of genetic isolation between bats carrying them.

First record of Myotis albescens (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) in French Guiana.

Background: Myotis albescens occurs from Mexico southward to Uruguay and Argentina. The species is known for all South American countries except French Guiana and Chile.

New Information: Based on one specimen recently collected in French Guiana we fill part of the gap in the distribution of the species in South America.

Molecular phylogeny and morphological revision of Myotis bats (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from Taiwan and adjacent China.

In taxonomic accounts, three species of Myotis have been traditionally reported to occur on the island of Taiwan: Watase's bat (M. formosus watasei Kishida), the Formosan broad-muzzled bat (M. muricola latirostris Kishida) and the Formosan mouse-eared bat (M.

Molecular phylogenetic reconstructions identify East Asia as the cradle for the evolution of the cosmopolitan genus Myotis (Mammalia, Chiroptera).

Sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (1140 bp) and nuclear Rag 2 (1148 bp) genes were used to assess the evolutionary history of the cosmopolitan bat genus Myotis, based on a worldwide sampling of over 88 named species plus 7 species with uncertain nomenclature. Phylogenetic reconstructions of this comprehensive taxon sampling show that most radiation of species occurred independently within each biogeographic region. Our molecular study supports an early divergence of species from the New World, where all Nearctic and Neotropical species plus a lineage from the Palaearctic constitute a monophyletic clade, sister to the remaining Old World taxa.

Biogeography of Old World emballonurine bats (Chiroptera: Emballonuridae) inferred with mitochondrial and nuclear DNA.

Extant bats of the genus Emballonura have a trans-Indian Ocean distribution, with two endemic species restricted to Madagascar, and eight species occurring in mainland southeast Asia and islands in the western Pacific Ocean. Ancestral Emballonura may have been more widespread on continental areas, but no fossil identified to this genus is known from the Old World. Emballonura belongs to the subfamily Emballonurinae, which occurs in the New and Old World.

Segmental copy number variation shapes tissue transcriptomes.

Copy number variation (CNV) is a key source of genetic diversity, but a comprehensive understanding of its phenotypic effect is only beginning to emerge. We have generated a CNV map in wild mice and classical inbred strains. Genome-wide expression data from six major organs show not only that expression of genes within CNVs tend to correlate with copy number changes, but also that CNVs influence the expression of genes in their vicinity, an effect that extends up to half a megabase.

Molecular cophylogenetic relationships between European bats and their ectoparasitic mites (Acari, Spinturnicidae).

Cospeciation between host-parasite species is generally thought to result in mirror-image congruent phylogenies. Incongruence can be explained by mechanisms such as host switching, duplication, failure to speciate and sorting events. To investigate the level of association in the host-parasite relationship between Spinturnicid mites and their bat hosts, we constructed the phylogenetic tree of the genus Spinturnix (Acari, Mesostigmata) and compared it to the host phylogeny.

The biogeography of Miniopterus bats (Chiroptera: Miniopteridae) from the Comoro Archipelago inferred from mitochondrial DNA.

The endemic fauna of the Comoro Archipelago is composed of a mixture of taxa originating from Africa and Madagascar. Bats are the only native land dwelling mammals on this archipelago, but the biogeographical origins for the vast majority of species within this group are ambiguous. We report here genetic analyses based on two mitochondrial DNA markers to infer the origin of Comorian bats belonging to a reputed species complex of Miniopterus that is further distributed across Africa and Madagascar.

Biogeographic origin and radiation of the Old World crocidurine shrews (Mammalia: Soricidae) inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear genes.

The crocidurine shrews include the most speciose genus of mammals, Crocidura. The origin and evolution of their radiation is, however, poorly understood because of very scant fossil records and a rather conservative external morphology between species. Here, we use an alignment of 3560 base pairs of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA to generate a phylogenetic hypothesis for the evolution of Old World shrews of the subfamily Crocidurinae.

The hidden side of invasions: massive introgression by local genes.

Despite hundreds of reports involving both plants and animals, the mechanisms underlying introgression remain obscure, even if some form of selection is frequently invoked. Introgression has repeatedly been reported in species that have recently colonized a new habitat, suggesting that demographic processes should be given more attention for understanding the mechanisms of introgression. Here we show by spatially explicit simulations that massive introgression of neutral genes takes place during the invasion of an occupied territory if interbreeding is not severely prevented between the invading and the local species.