Multiple levels of allopatric divergence in the endemic Philippine fruit bat Haplonycteris fischeri (Pteropodidae)

Abstract

As part of a larger comparative phylogeographical study of Philippine fruit bats, I used fragments of the mitochondrial genes cytochrome b and ND2 to investigate phylogeography and diversification in Haplonycteris fischeri , a pteropodid bat endemic to the Philippines but widespread within the archipelago. Genetic diversity in H. fischeri was extremely high in these commonly studied genes, with 101 unique haplotypes in 123 sequenced individuals, although small, continuously isolated islands had less diversity than had large island complexes. Seven monophyletic groups and one paraphyletic group were restricted to individual islands, groups of islands, or parts of islands. Each Pleistocene island complex had a single resident monophyletic lineage; these five groups were separated by approximately 6-8% sequence divergence and apparently have been diverging for 4-6 Myr. Within island groups, monophyletic lineages on some individual islands suggest that current ocean channels have also been barriers to gene flow; in some cases, multiple allopatric clades were present on single islands. Basal divergence dates were estimated to be in the early Pliocene, and most diversification was apparently connected to the ongoing geological evolution of the Philippines. Geological history and current geography interact with ecology to cause substantial genetic differentiation within this primary forest-specialist species.

Genetic structure of island populations of the endangered bat Hipposideros turpis turpis: implications for conservation

“…Analysis of F ST , AMOVA, and Bayesian clustering suggested that there were significant interisland differences; this supports the hypothesis that the open sea formed a significant barrier for bat dispersal, especially when the interisland distance was large, such as between Yonaguni and the other islands. These results are comparable with the data reported for the population of bats on other islands, e.g., populations of Cynopterus nusatenggara (Schmitt et al 1995), Eidolon helvum (Juste et al 2000), and Haplonycteris fischeri (Roberts 2006). In contrast, the disagreement between our results (lack of genetic structure) and the marginal species dispersal on Iriomote Island, as suggested by banding data (Maeda and Matsumoto 2004), might be partly because intercolonial dispersal occurred to an extent that was sufficient to reduce genetic structuring but was insufficient to be detected by the mark-recapture method.…”

Genetic isolation of insular populations of the Maghrebian bat, Myotis punicus, in the Mediterranean Basin

“…In addition to historical events, ecological attributes such as colonization or dispersal abilities should play a role in establishing patterns of genetic differentiation and colonization events (Heaney et al. , 2005; Roberts, 2006; Heaney, 2007). Therefore, both ecological and historical factors may generate intraspecific diversity in island settings, and the integration of the two perspectives is essential in phylogeographical studies.…”

Mitochondrial control region I and microsatellite analyses of endangered Philippine hornbill species (Aves; Bucerotidae) detect gene flow between island populations and genetic diversity loss

“…We hypothesize that substantial gene flow between Panay/Guimaras and Negros ceased at the end of the last Pleistocene ice age when the Panay-Negrosian PAIC broke down into separated islands due to eustatic changes in the sea level. While such a Pleistocene sea level-related model of speciation is rejected in favor of an earlier, Pliocene diversification for, e.g., rodents of the genus Apomys [50] or for the fruit bat Haplonycteris fischeri [51], the latter author suggests that sea-level changes may have played an important role for more recent divergence at the within PAICs level, such as among Negros and Panay. The shortest distance between the two islands today is about 15 km but, due to the presence of Guimaras and several other intervening islets, the longest open water distance is just 5 km.…”