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Geographic variation in the skulls of the horseshoe bats, Rhinolophus simulator and R. cf. simulator: determining the relative contributions of adaptation and drift using geometric morphometrics.
  • Gregory Mutumi,
  • David Jacobs,
  • Lunga Bam
Gregory Mutumi
University of California System

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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David Jacobs
University of Cape Town
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Lunga Bam
South Africa Nuclear Energy Corporation
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Abstract

The relative contributions of adaptation and drift to morphological diversification of the crania of echolocating mammals was investigated using two horseshoe bat species, Rhinolophus simulator and R. cf. simulator as test cases. We used 3D geometric morphometrics to compare the shapes of skulls of the two lineages collected at various localities in southern Africa. Shape variation was predominantly attributed to selective forces; the between population variance (B) was not proportional to the within population variance (W). Modularity was evident in the crania of R. simulator but absent in the crania of R. cf. simulator and the mandibles of both species. The skulls of the two lineages thus appeared to be under different selection pressures, despite the overlap in their distributions. Selection acted mainly on the nasal dome region of R. cf. simulator whereas selection acted more on the cranium and mandibles than on the nasal domes of R. simulator. Probably the relatively higher echolocation frequencies used by R. cf. simulator, the shape of the nasal dome, which acts as a frequency dependent acoustic horn, is more crucial than in R. simulator, allowing maximization of the intensity of the emitted calls and resulting in comparable detection distances. In contrast, selection pressure is probably more pronounced on the mandibles and cranium of R. simulator to compensate for the loss in bite force because of its elongated rostrum. The predominance of selection probably reflects the stringent association between environment and the optimal functioning of phenotypic characters associated with echolocation and feeding in bats.
23 Nov 2020Submitted to Ecology and Evolution
25 Nov 2020Submission Checks Completed
25 Nov 2020Assigned to Editor
26 Nov 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
30 Jan 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
01 Feb 2021Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
29 Jun 20211st Revision Received
29 Jun 2021Submission Checks Completed
29 Jun 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
29 Jun 2021Assigned to Editor
02 Jul 2021Reviewer(s) Assigned
20 Jul 2021Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
21 Sep 20212nd Revision Received
21 Sep 2021Assigned to Editor
21 Sep 2021Submission Checks Completed
21 Sep 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
21 Sep 2021Editorial Decision: Accept
Nov 2021Published in Ecology and Evolution volume 11 issue 22 on pages 15916-15935. 10.1002/ece3.8262