An evolutionary ecomorphological perspective on the assembly of a neotropical bat metacommunity

The evolution of the bat skull has been extensively studied at broad spatial scales. While ecomorphological partitioning of niches has been extensively analyzed in macroevolutionary studies, little is known about the interaction of wild phenotypes with novel ecological pressures to determine species co-occurrence. Here, we tested the influence of size, trophic guild, and foraging behavior on the cranium and mandible shapes of 32 co-occurring bat species. We used 2D geometric morphometrics and phylogenetic comparative methods for multivariate data to test the effects of foraging behavior, trophic guild, and size on the shape of cranium and mandible. We also tested for phylogenetic signal on the shape and size of cranium and mandible. Our results show that closely-related species were clustered together in the morphospace. Cranium allometry followed a common trajectory, probably related to olfactory-visual senses, and not trophic guild and foraging behavior. However, mandible allometry followed a unique trajectory for each group, suggesting differential pressures related to trophic guild and foraging behavior. Coexistence among frugivore stenodermatines is apparently achieved because they partition ecological niches by varying cranium and mandible size rather than their shapes. These findings suggest a convergence in cranium and mandible shapes for insectivorous bats, which may be related to the hardness of food resources.

Automated summary

Through anatomical studies of 32 co-occurring bat species, it was found that the shapes of their cranium and mandible are influenced by size, trophic guild, and foraging behavior. Unlike frugivorous species, insectivorous species have more diverse shapes of cranium and mandible, which may be related to the hardness of food resources.