| Patuxent Science Meeting 2006 Poster Abstract |
| | Evolutionary relationships among tropical nectar-feeding bats |
| | (Glossophaginae: Lonchophyllinae), based on morphological characters |
| | Woodman N |
| | Nectar-feeding bats serve an essential role in lowland tropical rain forests, acting as pollinators |
| | for plants, seed dispersers, and predators on insects. Knowledge of the diversity of this group |
| | and its evolution is necessary to understanding the development of the ecological relationships |
| | of these bats and the species with which they typically interact. The discovery of two new |
| | species of lonchophylline nectar-feeders in Colombia and Peru prompted me to undertake a |
| | study of the phylogenetic relationships in this branch of the group. I completed a series of |
| | analyses of a matrix of 177 characters with the computer program PAUP. These analyses |
| | used a variety of outgroup taxa that reflect the diversity of opinions regarding the closest |
| | relatives of the Lonchophyllini. Results support the contention that lonchophyllines represent a |
| | distinct group of nectar-feeders. However, relationships within this group remain poorly |
| | resolved. Characteristics that define individual species in this group show complex patterns of |
| | evolution that suggest convergence in a number of characters as a result of common feeding |
| | Friday, September 22, 2006 |