Cryptic Diversity in Common Mustached Bats Pteronotus cf. parnellii (Mormoopidae) in French Guiana and Brazilian Amapa
Résumé
The Common Mustached Bat (Pteronotus parnellii) is a mormoopid bat living in caves
in lowland rainforests throughout the north and eastern Neotropics, including several
Caribbean islands. Recent studies have shown that this taxon is certainly a composite of
several cryptic species, especially in the western part of the Guiana Shield, where
molecular reconstructions and bioacoustics point to the presence of at least two cryptic
species that may not be related to genuine P. parnellii, native of Jamaica. The current
taxonomy of this species complex is therefore confused. We examined here over 200
bioacoustically identified individuals to show that two phonic types live in sympatry in
French Guiana with no overlap in frequencies of echolocation calls. Morphologic
variation showed consistent and significant differences between the two phonic types,
but external measurements were unable to discriminate all bats. Two mitochondrial
markers analyzed in a selection of each of these phonic types were further used to
evidence that they represent two genetically discrete groups, and to assign them to the
existing molecular clades described elsewhere. Molecular comparisons with reference
specimens sampled near the type localities of P. parnellii and P. rubiginosus further
suggest that the 53 kHz phonic type found in French Guiana and Amapa (Brazil) should
be assigned to the later species, while the 59 kHz phonic type represents an undescribed
species.
Domaines
Biodiversité et EcologieOrigine | Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s) |
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