Systematics, morphometry, and distribution of Eptesicus fuscus miradorensis (H. Allen, 1866) (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae), with notes on baculum morphology and natural history

Authors

  • Héctor E. Ramírez-Chaves Grupo de Investigación en Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas (GEBIOME), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia Centro de Museos, Museo de Historia Natural. Universidad de Caldas. Calle 65 No 26-10, CP 170004, Manizales; Caldas, Colombia. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2454-9482
  • Mallerly Alarcón Cifuentes Grupo de Investigación en Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas (GEBIOME), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia.
  • Elkin A Noguera-Urbano Evaluación y Monitoreo de la Biodiversidad. Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos, Alexander von Humboldt. Avenida Paseo Bolívar (Circunvalar) 16-20, CP 110231, Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia. Programa de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Nariño, Grupo de Investigación de Ecología Evolutiva, Nariño, Colombia. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4391-4852
  • Weimar A Pérez Institución Educativa Agroindustrial Monterilla. Caldono, Cauca, Colombia.
  • Maria M Torres-Martínez Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Laboratório de Biodiversidade, Conservação e Ecologia de Animais Silvestres, Setor de Ciências Biológicas. Universidade Federal do Paraná. Avenida Coronel Francisco H. dos Santos 100, CEP 81531-990, CP 19031, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5892-0788
  • Paula A. Ossa-López Grupo de Investigación en Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas (GEBIOME), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia. Doctorado en Ciencias - Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Caldas. Calle 65 No 26-10, CP 170004, Manizales; Caldas, Colombia. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9079-4988
  • Fredy A. Rivera-Páez Grupo de Investigación en Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas (GEBIOME), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia. http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8048-5818
  • Darwin Manuel Morales-Martínez Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biological Sciences. Louisiana State University. Murphy J. Foster Hall, 119 Dalrymple Dr, PC 70802, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA. http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5786-4107

Keywords:

America, Genes, Taxonomy, Species level, Variation

Abstract

The brown bat Eptesicus fuscus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) is a widely distributed species with up to 11 subspecies ranging from North America, some Caribbean islands, and Central and northern South America. Within the species, Eptesicus fuscus miradorensis occurs from North America to South America being the only subspecies that occurs in the continental area of the Neotropical region and might be considered a full species. Also, it has been suggested that E. f. miradorensis shows a clinal morphologic variation from the northernmost populations of Central America toward South America. We evaluated the systematic position of E. f. miradorensis using genetic samples from Central and South America. In addition, we assessed the morphometric variations of E. f. miradorensis using 14 external and cranial measurements of specimens distributed along America. To evaluate the clinal variation and interspecific changes through its distribution, we assigned three groups considering the localities of origin i) North (México), ii) Center (Guatemala-Panamá), and iii) South (Colombia-Venezuela) using multivariate analyzes. We also compiled the localities of the revised specimens and these from databases to determine the environmental factors that potentially constrain the distribution of the taxon. We suggest that E. f. miradorensis should be elevated to the species level based on genetic comparisons. Additionally, we did not find sexual dimorphism or size variation associated with its distribution. The species is distributed from México to South America (Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador) in elevations that average over 1,000 m, showing a strong association with high mountain ecosystems. This taxon increases to 12 the number of species of bats of the subgenus Eptesicus in South America.

Author Biography

Darwin Manuel Morales-Martínez, Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biological Sciences. Louisiana State University. Murphy J. Foster Hall, 119 Dalrymple Dr, PC 70802, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.

Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biological Sciences.

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2023-05-28

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Vol. 14 No. 2 (2023)

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