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. We explore this question in Myotis bats, the only Chiropteran genus with a worldwide distribution. Three foraging strategies—gleaning, trawling, and aerial netting—repeatedly evolved in several regions of the world, each linked to characteristic morphologies recognized as ecomorphs. Phylogenomic, morphometric, and comparative approaches were adopted to investigate convergence of such foraging strategies and skull morphology as well as factors that explain diversification rates. Genomic and morphometric data were analyzed from ∼80% extant taxa. Results confirm that the ecomorphs evolved multiple times, with trawling evolving more often and foliage gleaning most recently. Skull morphology does not reflect common ancestry and evolves convergently with foraging strategy. Although diversification rates have been roughly constant across the genus, speciation rates are area‐dependent and higher in taxa with temperate distributions. Results suggest that in this species‐rich group of bats, first, stochastic processes have led divergence into multiple lineages. Then, natural selection in similar niches has promoted repeated adaptation of phenotypes and foraging strategies. Myotis bats are thus a remarkable case of ecomorphological convergence and an emerging model system for investigating the genomic basis of parallel adaptive radiation.

Aim Our work seeks to understand the global demographical response of bat species to the climate change that occurred at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Location All continents except Antarctica. Methods Mitochondrial DNA sequences were sampled from bat species throughout the planet where we could associate a georeferenced sample with a given DNA sequence. Our investigation estimates the historical demographical response using over 12,000 samples from >300 nominal species of bats. Custom Python and R scripts were written to aggregate sequence data from GenBank, locality information from GBIF, and to associate these records to individual samples. We conducted approximate Bayesian computation to calculate the posterior probability of demographical bottleneck and expansion responses to the end of the Pleistocene, and then collected organismal trait data to identify traits that were associated with either demographical response. We also used R to estimate current and end‐Pleistocene species distribution models (SDM) for species where >10 georeferenced samples were available. Results Analysis of the genetic data indicate that some temperate insectivores responded to the end of the Pleistocene by undergoing a demographical expansion. However, the neotropical family Phyllostomidae experienced the most dramatic response, with many of its species undergoing demographical bottlenecks. Larger bats, and those with shorter forewings, were more likely to undergo a demographical bottleneck. In contrast with the results of the genetic data analysis, the automated SDMs all predicted range expansion since the LGM. Main conclusions Historical populations of Neotropical bats that rely on Angiosperms for resources (i.e., pollen, nectar, fruit) were negatively influenced by the climate change that occurred at the end of the Pleistocene. Our work highlights the utility of incorporating exploratory trait‐based analyses in phylogeography. It serves as an example of automated big data phylogeography, and suggests that repurposed data can lead to new insights about global biodiversity.

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