The Origin of Flight in Bats

Thewissen, J. G. M.; Babcock, Sharon K.

doi:10.2307/1311780

Cited by 33 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The aggregate abundance of neotropical bats is equally impressive with biomass estimates equaling all other mammal species combined (Tuttle 1983). Their ecological success depends on the exploitation of diverse trophic strategies, roosting structures, habitats, movement patterns, and sensory modalities (Kalko 1997;Patterson et al 2003), in turn enabled by the key innovations of flight and echolocation (Thewissen and Babcock 1992;Teeling et al 2000;Simmons et al 2008). Their ecological importance as pollinators, seed dispersers, and insectivores is transcendent, generating numerous indirect effects on forest health and vitality (Wilson 1989;Rainey et al 1995).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parasitism by bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae) on neotropical bats: effects of host body size, distribution, and abundance

2008

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We examined the correlations between prevalence (proportion of infested individuals), mean intensity (number of parasites per infested individual), and the number of bat fly species parasitizing bats in Venezuela with host body mass, distribution, and abundance. Of 133 bat species sampled, 53 species in six families were captured frequently enough to allow estimation of their parasite loads. Over all species and six families, prevalence and mean intensity were uncorrelated with these variables, but the number of fly species was correlated with host body mass. Correlations of parasitism with body mass were strengthened among the 44 species of Phyllostomidae. Earlier studies showed that bat roosting habits influence their parasitism by bat flies with more permanent, enclosed roosts being with heavier parasitism. Multiple regressions of all measures of parasitism showed that roosting habits and host body mass, respectively, were the first variables to enter stepwise regressions, together accounting for 20-43% of the variation in measures of parasitism. Lack of correlation between proxies of distribution and abundance with parasitism is taken to indicate that proximate factors such as host-as-habitat, social groupings, and roost microhabitat take precedence over species-wide attributes like commonness and ubiquity.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parasitism by bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae) on neotropical bats: effects of host body size, distribution, and abundance

2008

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“…There is a general consensus that the common ancestor of bats was a small, quadrupedal mammal, with a limb morphology that was similar to that of mice (6,7). The earliest known bats appear in the fossil record Ϸ50 million years ago, and they appear suddenly and already possessing the anatomical hallmarks of powered flight (including elongated third, fourth, and fifth forelimb digits) (6)(7)(8). Thus, it seems to be likely that the earliest known fossil bats were already capable of powered flight (3)(4)(5).…”

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confidence: 99%

Development of bat flight: Morphologic and molecular evolution of bat wing digits

Sears

Behringer

Rasweiler

et al. 2006

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

193

190

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The earliest fossil bats resemble their modern counterparts in possessing greatly elongated digits to support the wing membrane, which is an anatomical hallmark of powered flight. To quantitatively confirm these similarities, we performed a morphometric analysis of wing bones from fossil and modern bats. We found that the lengths of the third, fourth, and fifth digits (the primary supportive elements of the wing) have remained constant relative to body size over the last 50 million years. This absence of transitional forms in the fossil record led us to look elsewhere to understand bat wing evolution. Investigating embryonic development, we found that the digits in bats (Carollia perspicillata) are initially similar in size to those of mice (Mus musculus) but that, subsequently, bat digits greatly lengthen. The developmental timing of the change in wing digit length points to a change in longitudinal cartilage growth, a process that depends on the relative proliferation and differentiation of chondrocytes. We found that bat forelimb digits exhibit relatively high rates of chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation. We show that bone morphogenetic protein 2 (Bmp2) can stimulate cartilage proliferation and differentiation and increase digit length in the bat embryonic forelimb. Also, we show that Bmp2 expression and Bmp signaling are increased in bat forelimb embryonic digits relative to mouse or bat hind limb digits. Together, our results suggest that an up-regulation of the Bmp pathway is one of the major factors in the developmental elongation of bat forelimb digits, and it is potentially a key mechanism in their evolutionary elongation as well.Chiroptera ͉ Bmp ͉ cartilage

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“…It should be mentioned that some evolutionary biologists question the monophyletic origin of bats (Chiroptera with two extant clades; Megachiroptera (Old World Fruit Bats) and Microchiroptera (echolocating bats)) and prefer the diphyly hypothesis stating that Megachiroptera (to which all flying foxes belong) is more closely related to primates than to Microchiroptera based on similarities between visual pathways and reproductive organs (Simmons and Conway, 1997;. However, the majority of studies strongly support a sistergroup relationship between Megachiroptera and Microchiroptera, and view consideration of their relation to primates as an erroneous hypothesis, such that bat monophylogeny is now regarded as a very strongly supported hypothesis (Thewissen and Babcock, 1992;Simmons and Conway, 1997;Gunnell and Simmons, 2005).…”

Section: In Vivo Studies Of Bmaa Neurotoxicitymentioning

confidence: 99%