The following article in the current issue of J Mammalogy can be downloaded
from
http://www.uvm.edu/~bmitchel/Bioacoustics.html
Jacobs, David S., Geeta N. Eick, M. Corrie Schoeman, and Conrad A. Matthee.
2006. Cryptic species in an insectivorous bat, Scotophilus dinganii. Journal of
Mammalogy 87(1):161-170.
ABSTRACT:
In recent years many cryptic bat species have been unmasked by differences in
their echolocation calls. The yellow house bat (/Scotophilus dinganii/) is 1 of
3 species of /Scotophilus /currently described in southern Africa and is
distinguished from the other 2 species by its size and yellow venter. Here we
use genetic, morphological, and echolocation call data to show the existence of
a cryptic species. We found that /S. dinganii/ consists of 2 forms, one that
uses a peak echolocation frequency of 44 kHz and the other a peak frequency of
33 kHz. Both forms have yellow venters. The 44-kHz phonic type is up to 15%
smaller than the 33-kHz phonic type and differed genetically by an average
cytochrome-b (/Cytb/) sequence divergence of 3.3%. Furthermore, combined
phylogenetic analyses of /Cytb/ and control region sequences indicate that the
2
phonic types are reciprocally monophyletic, suggesting that they are sibling
species.
Brian
--
Brian R. Mitchell
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources
University of Vermont
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