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Yangochiroptera

(Infraorder)

Overview

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The Yangochiroptera is a proposed suborder of Chiroptera 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.

Classification

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Suborder Yangochiroptera (Vespertilioniformes)

dae (Bulldog bats)
  • Family Nycteridae (Hollow-faced bats)
  • Family Phyllostomidae (Leaf-nosed bats)
  • Family Thyropteridae (Disk-winged bats)
  • Family Vespertilionidae (Vesper bats)

    • References

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    1. ^ "Order Chiroptera bats". animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu. http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Chiroptera.html. Retrieved 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. http://www.bio.georgiasouthern.edu/bio-home/hutcheon/hutchkirsch2006.pdf. 
    3. ^ Eick et al.; Jacobs, DS; Matthee, CA (2005). "A Nuclear DNA Phylogenetic Perspective on the Evolution of Echolocation and Historical Biogeography of Extant Bats (Chiroptera)". Molecular Biology and Evolution 22 (9): 1869. doi:10.1093/molbev/msi180. PMID 15930153. "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)." 

    Teeling, E.C., M.S. Springer, O. Madsen, P. Bates, S.J. O?Brien, and W.J. Murphy. 2005. A Molecular Phylogeny for Bats Illuminates Biogeography and the Fossil Record. Science 307: 580-584.

    Teeling, E.C., M. Scally, D.J. Kao, M.L. Romagnoli, M.S. Springer, and M.J. Stanhope. 2000. Molecular evidence regarding the origin of echolocation and flight in bats. Nature 403: 188-192.

    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 families of bats. This family 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 . Like many bats, they roost in caves. [more]

    Molossidae

    Molossidae, or free-tailed bats, are a family of bats within the order Chiroptera. 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 over 0.5 m (1.6 ft) 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 bats known generally as mustached bats, ghost-faced bats, and naked-backed bats. They are found in the Americas from the Southwestern United States to Southeastern Brazil. [more]

    Mystacinidae

    Mystacinidae is a family of unusual bats, the New Zealand short-tailed bats. There is one living genus, Mystacina, with two extant species, one of which is believed to have become extinct in the 1960s. They are medium-sized bats, about 6 centimetres (2.4 in) in length, with grey, velvety fur. [more]

    Myzopodidae

    Myzopoda is the only genus in family Myzopodidae, a family of bats, endemic to Madagascar. [more]

    Natalidae

    The family Natalidae, or funnel-eared bats are found from Mexico to Brazil and the Caribbean islands. The family has three genera, Chilonatalus, Natalus and Nyctiellus. 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 bats, commonly known as bulldog bats or fisherman bats, are represented by two species, the Greater Bulldog Bat and the Lesser Bulldog Bat. They are found near water, from Mexico to Argentina. The Naked Bulldog Bat (Cheiromeles torquatus) does not belong to this family, but to the family Molossidae, the free-tailed bats. [more]

    Philisidae

    [more]

    Phyllostomidae

    The New World leaf-nosed bats (Phyllostomidae) are found throughout Central and South America, from Mexico 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 as well as frugivores (subfamily Stenodermatinae and Carolliinae). 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 Central 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

    Vesper bats (family Vespertilionidae), also known as evening bats or common bats, are the largest and best-known family of bats. They belong to the suborder Microchiroptera (microbats). Over three hundred species are distributed all over the world, on every continent except Antarctica. It owes its name to the Latin word vespertilio ("bat"), from vesper, meaning "evening". [more]

    At least 1,149 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. http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Chiroptera.html. Retrieved 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:10.3 161/1733-5329(2006)8%5B1:AMFDTM%5D2.0.CO;2. http://www.bio.georgiasouthern.edu/bio-home/hutcheon/hutchkirsch2006.pdf. 
    3. ^ Eick et al.; Jacobs, DS; Matthee, CA (2005). "A Nuclear DNA Phylogenetic Perspective on the Evolution of Echolocation and Historical Biogeography of Extant Bats (Chiroptera)". Molecular Biology and Evolution 22 (9): 1869. doi:10.1093/molbev/msi180. PMID 15930153. "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: August 24, 2012
    2012/08/24 13:19:20