Integrative taxonomy and biogeography of Asian yellow house bats (Vespertilionidae: Scotophilus) in the Indomalayan Region
Issue Date
1-2021
Abstract
Yellow house bats (Scotophilus) have been known for centuries as a widespread genus of vesper bats in the Indomalayan Region. Despite this, their taxonomic status and phylogeographical patterns remain unclear due to differing criteria employed by early taxonomists and inconsistencies between morphological and molecular assessments. To address these issues, we undertook a comparative phylogeographic analysis of Asian Scotophilus spp. using integrated genetic and morphological analyses of samples collected across the region. These demonstrate that yellow house bats in Asia can be classified into just two widespread species, namely the smaller S. kuhlii (e.g., FA ≤ 53.1 mm, GLS ≤ 20.18 mm) and the larger S. heathii (e.g., FA ≥ 53.4 mm, GLS ≥ 20.85 mm), which occur in sympatry in different parts of the Indomalayan Region. Although these two sympatric species share similar eco-ethological preferences, they differ considerably in their geographic distributions and intraspecific variation in mtDNA sequences and morphological traits. These disparities were likely misinterpreted as indicating potential cryptic diversity in previous studies, whereas we suggest they are related to interspecific differences in sex-biased gene flow and phenotypic plasticity to adapt to varying environments. Our study highlights the importance of using multiple datasets to resolve taxonomic uncertainties and reconstruct demographic and phylogeographic histories of sympatric species.
Source or Periodical Title
Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research
ISSN
0947-5745
Volume
59
Issue
3
Page
772-795.
Document Type
Article
Physical Description
illustrations, figure, graph, tables
Language
English
Subject
comparative phylogeography, integrative taxonomy, multiple datasets, Scotophilus, sympatric species
Recommended Citation
Tu, V.T., Görföl, T., Csorba, G., Arai, S., Kikuchi, F., Fukui, D., Koyabu, D., Furey, N., Bawm, S., Linn, K., Alviola, P., Hang, C., Son, N., Tuan, T., & Hassanin, A. (2021). Integrative taxonomy and biogeography of Asian yellow house bats (Vespertilionidae: Scotophilus) in the Indomalayan Region. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research, 59 (3), 772-795. 10.1111/jzs.12448.
Identifier
DOI:10.1111/jzs.12448
Digital Copy
yes
En – AGROVOC descriptors
COMPARATIVE PHYLOGEOGRAPHY; INTEGRATIVE TAXONOMY; MULTIPLE DATASETS; SCOTOPHILUS; SYMPATRIC SPECIES