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Yangochiroptera

(Infraorder)

Overview

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The Yangochiroptera is a proposed suborder of that includes most of the microbat families, except the Rhinopomatidae, Rhinolophidae and the Megadermatidae. These other families, plus the megabats, are seen as part of another suborder, Yinpterochiroptera.

The rationale for the Yangochiroptera taxon is primarily based on molecular genetics data. The Yangochiroptera/ Yinpterochiroptera classification remains a relatively recent proposal, which challenges the traditional view that megabats and microbats form monophyletic groups of bats. Further studies are being conducted, using both molecular and morphological cladistic methodology, to assess the merit of this alternative view of bat evolution.1]

The term Yangochiroptera was apparently proposed in 1984 by Karl F. Koopman.[2]

As an alternative to the subordinal names Yinpterochiroptera and Yangochiroptera, some researchers use the terms Pteropodiformes and Vespertilioniformes.[2][3] Under this new proposed nomenclature, Vespertilioniformes is the suborder that would replace Yangochiroptera.

Photos

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Taxonomy

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The Infraorder Yangochiroptera is a member of the Suborder Microchiroptera. Here is the complete "parentage" of Yangochiroptera:

The Infraorder Yangochiroptera is further organized into finer groupings including:

Families

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Furipteridae

Furipteridae is one of the of bats. This familiy contains only two species, the Smokey Bat and the Thumbless Bat. Both are from Central and South America, and are closely related to the bats in the Natalidae and Thyropteridae families. They can be recognized by their reduced and functionless thumbs, enclosed by the wing membranes, and their broad, funnel-shaped ears. There are only two genera in the group, each with a single species. They are insectivorous and can live in many different kinds of environments. They have greyish fur, and a small nose-leaf. Like many bats, they roost in caves. [more]

Molossidae

Molossidae, or Free-tailed bats, are a family of bats within the order. They are generally quite robust, and consist of many strong flying forms with relatively long and narrow wings. Another common name for some members of this group, and indeed a few species from other families, is Mastiff Bat. The Western mastiff bat, Eumops perotis, a large species from the southwestern United States and Mexico with wings almost two feet across, is perhaps one of the best known with this name. They are widespread, being found on every continent except Antarctica. [more]

Mormoopidae

The family Mormoopidae contains known generally as moustache bats, ghost-faced bats, and naked-backed bats. They are found in Central and South America, from Southern Mexico to Southeastern Brazil. [more]

Mystacinidae

The New Zealand short-tailed are the Mystacinidae family of bats. There is one genus, Mystacina, with two species. They are medium-sized bats, about 6 cm in length, with grey, velvety fur. [more]

Myzopodidae

Myzopoda is the only genus in family Myzopodidae. [more]

Natalidae

The Natalidae, or funnel-eared bats are found from Mexico to Brazil and the Caribbean islands. The family comprises only one a single genus, Natalus. They are slender bats with unusually long tails and, as their name suggests, funnel-shaped ears. They are small, at only 3.5 to 5.5 cm in length, with brown, grey, or reddish fur. Like many other bats, they are insectivorous, and roost in caves. [more]

Noctilionidae

The Noctilionidae family of , commonly known as Bulldog bats or Fisherman Bats, are represented by two species, the Greater Bulldog Bat and the Lesser Bulldog Bat. The Naked Bulldog Bat, Cheiromeles torquatus is not of this family and belongs to the family Molossidae, the free-tailed bats. They are found near water, from Mexico to Argentina. [more]

Philisidae

[more]

Phyllostomidae

The New World leaf-nosed bats (Phyllostomidae) are found throughout Central and South America, from to northern Argentina. They are ecologically the most varied and diverse family within the order Chiroptera. Most species are insectivorous, but the phyllostomid bats include within their number true predatory species. For example, the False Vampire, Vampyrum spectrum, the largest bat in the Americas, eats vertebrate prey including small dove-sized birds. Members of this family have evolved to utilize food groups such as fruit, nectar, pollen, insects, frogs, other bats and small vertebrates, and, in the case of the vampire bats, even blood. [more]

Thyropteridae

Disc-winged bats are a small group of bats of the family Thyropteridae. They are found in and South America, usually in moist tropical rain forests. It is a very small family, consisting of a single genus with four species. [more]

Vespertilionidae

Evening bats or, perhaps more correctly, Vesper bats (family Vespertilionidae) are the largest and best-known family of . They belong to the suborder Microchiroptera (microbats). There are over 300 species distributed all over the world, on every continent except Antarctica. Sometimes the family is called "common bats". [more]

At least 963 species and subspecies belong to the Family Vespertilionidae.

More info about the Family Vespertilionidae may be found here.

References

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  1. ^ "Order Chiroptera bats". animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
  2. ^ a b James M. Hutcheon and John A.W. Kirsch. "A moveable face: deconstructing the Microchiroptera and a new classification of extant bats". doi:10.3161/1733-5329(2006)8%5B1:AMFDTM%5D2.0.CO;2.
  3. ^ Eick et al. (2005). A Nuclear DNA Phylogenetic Perspective on the Evolution of Echolocation and Historical Biogeography of Extant Bats (Chiroptera). doi:10.1093/molbev/msi180. "Following the recommendations of Hutcheon and Kirsch (2004), we refer to the two suborders of chiropterans as ‘Pteropodiformes’ (comprising the Pteropodidae, Rhinolophidae, Hipposideridae, Megadermatidae, and Rhinopomatidae) and ‘Vespertilioniformes’ (remaining microbat families).". 

Sources

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Last Revised: November 19, 2008