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Community structure and evolution of insectivorous bats in the Palaeotropics and Neotropics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Klaus-Gerhard Heller  and
Marianne Volleth
Klaus-Gerhard Heller
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology II, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstr. 5, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
Marianne Volleth
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology II, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstr. 5, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
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Abstract

The most diverse known communities of insectivorous bats in the Palaeotropics and Neotropics are similar in alpha diversity (number of species). However, they show distinct differences with respect to wing morphology and the echolocation behaviour of their component species. In the Palaeotropics, most bat families are clearly separated in wing morphospace. The morphological niche of Rhinolophidae is vacant in the Neotropics, but primitive echolocators using sound primarily for scanning the environment rather than for prey capture are much more frequent there than in the Palaeotropics. In our opinion, a large portion of this difference can be traced to the different evolutionary histories of the respective communities. Bat families of different geographical origin are involved and their foraging styles obviously evolved differently in the Old and New World.

Keywords

batsChiropteracommunity structureecholocationwing morphology
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 11 , Issue 3 , August 1995 , pp. 429 - 442
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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References

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