Antrozoini
Encyclopedia
Antrozoini is a tribe of bat
s in the subfamily Vespertilioninae
of the family Vespertilionidae. It includes at least the pallid bat
(Antrozous pallidus), Van Gelder's bat
(Bauerus dubiaquercus), and the fossil Anzanycteris; some classifications also include the genera Rhogeessa
and Baeodon.
(Antrozous pallidus) was first described in 1856 and first placed in its own genus, Antrozous, in 1862. Several suggestions were made early on about its relationships, including that of Wilhelm Peters
in 1865, who placed it in the family Vespertilionidae and considered it to be related to the Australian Nyctophilus
. Others suggested a relationship with the vespertilionid genus Plecotus
or the Phyllostomidae. In 1897, Gerrit S. Miller described a subfamily Antrozoinae for the pallid bat, but ten years later chose to place Nyctophilus and Antrozous together in a subfamily Nyctophilinae.
Van Gelder's bat
was described in 1959 as Antrozous (Bauerus) dubiaquercus; subsequently, the species has been placed in its own genus, Bauerus, while others have retained it in Antrozous with its close relative, the pallid bat, with the current consensus being toward placing them in separate genera. In 1970, Karl F. Koopman and J. Knox Jones recognized a tribe Antrozoini (comprising only Antrozous and Bauerus), which they still placed within Nyctophilinae. In a separate 1970 paper, however, Koopman questioned the affinities between the North American antrozoines and the Australasian Nyctophilus on the basis of biogeography
. The next year, Ronald Pine and colleagues further questioned this relationship on the basis of baculum
(penis bone) characters, although they cautioned that more penes of Bauerus needed to be studied. Since then, Antrozoini has generally been considered a valid tribe in the subfamily Vespertilioninae
, which includes most members of Vespertilionidae.
In 1998, Nancy B. Simmons argued that Antrozoini was not, in fact, closely related to other Vespertilioninae and instead placed the two species in their own family, Antrozoidae, which she considered closer to the Molossidae, another family of bats. However, this hypothesis was later refuted by DNA sequence
data, which indicated that the Antrozoini nested within Vespertilioninae. Therefore, Simmons placed the two species in Vespertilionidae in the 2005 third edition of Mammal Species of the World
, but she kept them as a subfamily separate from Vespertilioninae, called Antrozoinae, because of continued phylogenetic uncertainty. However all DNA studies place antrozoines in Vespertilioninae, and this led Steven Hoofer and Ronald Van Den Bussche (2003) as well as Zachary Roehrs and colleagues (2010) to classify them as a tribe, Antrozoini, within that subfamily.
Hoofer and Van Den Bussche, who used mitochondrial DNA
(mtDNA) sequences in their study, also expanded Antrozoini to include the American genera Rhogeessa
and Baeodon (which are often combined as Rhogeessa). These genera were previously placed in the tribe Nycticeiini and considered to be related to the Old World genus Otonycteris. In their 2010 paper, Roehrs and colleagues again found that mtDNA sequences supported a relationship between Antrozous, Bauerus, Rhogeessa, and Baeodon, but what limited nuclear DNA
data for Baeodon they had suggested that the genus may be more closely related to Lasiurus
.
and Texas
), and marginally southwestern Canada (British Columbia
). It is also found on Cuba; the population there has been classified as a separate species, Antrozous koopmani, by some authorities, but it is now included in the pallid bat. Van Gelder's bat is found from Nayarit
in western Mexico south and east to Costa Rica. Most species of Rhogeessa occur in Mexico, but several occur further south, reaching to Bolivia and Brazil. The single species of Baeodon, B. alleni, is restricted to Mexico.
The oldest fossils identified as Antrozous come from the Barstovian
(Middle Miocene
) of Nebraska
; however, their attribution to the genus is tentative. Undoubted Antrozous come from the Hemphillian
(Late Miocene
) of Texas and additional fossils are from the Pliocene
of Texas, Idaho
, and Florida
. No fossils of Bauerus or Baeodon are known; the only fossils of Rhogeessa come from the Pleistocene
of Inciarte in Venezuela. In 1969, John A. White named the genus Anzanycteris on the basis of Pliocene fossils from California
(originally identified as Pleistocene) and included it in Nyctophilinae. Later, Malcolm C. McKenna and Susan K. Bell listed Anzanycteris under Antrozoini in their 1997 Classification of Mammals.
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s in the subfamily Vespertilioninae
Vespertilioninae
Vespertilioninae is a subfamily of Vesper Bats from the family Vespertilionidae.-Classification:Subfamily Vespertilioninae*Tribe Eptesicini**Genus Arielulus***Collared Pipistrelle, Arielulus aureocollaris...
of the family Vespertilionidae. It includes at least the pallid bat
Pallid bat
The Pallid Bat is a species of bat that ranges from western Canada to central Mexico. It is the sole species of its genus and is closely related to Van Gelder's Bat , which is sometimes included in Antrozous...
(Antrozous pallidus), Van Gelder's bat
Van Gelder's Bat
Van Gelder's Bat is a species of vesper bat in the Vespertilionidae family.It is found in Belize, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Mexico. It is monotypic within its genus...
(Bauerus dubiaquercus), and the fossil Anzanycteris; some classifications also include the genera Rhogeessa
Rhogeessa
Rhogeessa is a genus of bats within the "Vesper bats" family, Vespertilionidae. Species within this genus are:*Yucatan Yellow Bat *Allen's Yellow Bat *Genoways's Yellow Bat...
and Baeodon.
Taxonomy
The pallid batPallid bat
The Pallid Bat is a species of bat that ranges from western Canada to central Mexico. It is the sole species of its genus and is closely related to Van Gelder's Bat , which is sometimes included in Antrozous...
(Antrozous pallidus) was first described in 1856 and first placed in its own genus, Antrozous, in 1862. Several suggestions were made early on about its relationships, including that of Wilhelm Peters
Wilhelm Peters
Wilhelm Karl Hartwich Peters was a German naturalist and explorer.He was assistant to Johannes Peter Müller and later curator of the Berlin Zoological Museum. In September 1842 he travelled to Mozambique via Angola. He returned to Berlin with an enormous collection of natural history specimens...
in 1865, who placed it in the family Vespertilionidae and considered it to be related to the Australian Nyctophilus
Nyctophilus
Nyctophilus is a genus of bats within the Vespertilionidae or "Vesper bats" family. Species within this genus are:*Northern Long-eared Bat Nyctophilus arnhemensis*Eastern Long-eared Bat Nyctophilus bifax*Nyctophilus corbeni...
. Others suggested a relationship with the vespertilionid genus Plecotus
Plecotus
The genus Plecotus consists of the lump-nosed bats. Many species in the genus have only been described and recognized in recent years.-Species:Genus Plecotus - Lump-nosed bats*Plecotus ariel*Brown Long-eared Bat, Plecotus auritus...
or the Phyllostomidae. In 1897, Gerrit S. Miller described a subfamily Antrozoinae for the pallid bat, but ten years later chose to place Nyctophilus and Antrozous together in a subfamily Nyctophilinae.
Van Gelder's bat
Van Gelder's Bat
Van Gelder's Bat is a species of vesper bat in the Vespertilionidae family.It is found in Belize, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Mexico. It is monotypic within its genus...
was described in 1959 as Antrozous (Bauerus) dubiaquercus; subsequently, the species has been placed in its own genus, Bauerus, while others have retained it in Antrozous with its close relative, the pallid bat, with the current consensus being toward placing them in separate genera. In 1970, Karl F. Koopman and J. Knox Jones recognized a tribe Antrozoini (comprising only Antrozous and Bauerus), which they still placed within Nyctophilinae. In a separate 1970 paper, however, Koopman questioned the affinities between the North American antrozoines and the Australasian Nyctophilus on the basis of biogeography
Biogeography
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species , organisms, and ecosystems in space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities vary in a highly regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, isolation and habitat area...
. The next year, Ronald Pine and colleagues further questioned this relationship on the basis of baculum
Baculum
The baculum is a bone found in the penis of most mammals. It is absent in humans, but present in other primates, such as the gorilla and chimpanzee.The bone aids in sexual intercourse.-Purpose:...
(penis bone) characters, although they cautioned that more penes of Bauerus needed to be studied. Since then, Antrozoini has generally been considered a valid tribe in the subfamily Vespertilioninae
Vespertilioninae
Vespertilioninae is a subfamily of Vesper Bats from the family Vespertilionidae.-Classification:Subfamily Vespertilioninae*Tribe Eptesicini**Genus Arielulus***Collared Pipistrelle, Arielulus aureocollaris...
, which includes most members of Vespertilionidae.
In 1998, Nancy B. Simmons argued that Antrozoini was not, in fact, closely related to other Vespertilioninae and instead placed the two species in their own family, Antrozoidae, which she considered closer to the Molossidae, another family of bats. However, this hypothesis was later refuted by DNA sequence
DNA sequence
The sequence or primary structure of a nucleic acid is the composition of atoms that make up the nucleic acid and the chemical bonds that bond those atoms. Because nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are unbranched polymers, this specification is equivalent to specifying the sequence of...
data, which indicated that the Antrozoini nested within Vespertilioninae. Therefore, Simmons placed the two species in Vespertilionidae in the 2005 third edition of Mammal Species of the World
Mammal Species of the World
Mammal Species of the World, now in its 3rd edition, is a standard reference work in zoology giving descriptions and bibliographic data for the known species of mammals.An updated Third Edition of Mammal Species of the World was published late in 2005:...
, but she kept them as a subfamily separate from Vespertilioninae, called Antrozoinae, because of continued phylogenetic uncertainty. However all DNA studies place antrozoines in Vespertilioninae, and this led Steven Hoofer and Ronald Van Den Bussche (2003) as well as Zachary Roehrs and colleagues (2010) to classify them as a tribe, Antrozoini, within that subfamily.
Hoofer and Van Den Bussche, who used mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA is the DNA located in organelles called mitochondria, structures within eukaryotic cells that convert the chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, adenosine triphosphate...
(mtDNA) sequences in their study, also expanded Antrozoini to include the American genera Rhogeessa
Rhogeessa
Rhogeessa is a genus of bats within the "Vesper bats" family, Vespertilionidae. Species within this genus are:*Yucatan Yellow Bat *Allen's Yellow Bat *Genoways's Yellow Bat...
and Baeodon (which are often combined as Rhogeessa). These genera were previously placed in the tribe Nycticeiini and considered to be related to the Old World genus Otonycteris. In their 2010 paper, Roehrs and colleagues again found that mtDNA sequences supported a relationship between Antrozous, Bauerus, Rhogeessa, and Baeodon, but what limited nuclear DNA
Nuclear DNA
Nuclear DNA, nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid , is DNA contained within a nucleus of eukaryotic organisms. In mammals and vertebrates, nuclear DNA encodes more of the genome than the mitochondrial DNA and is composed of information inherited from two parents, one male, and one female, rather than...
data for Baeodon they had suggested that the genus may be more closely related to Lasiurus
Lasiurus
Lasiurus is the genus comprising hairy-tailed bats. The name Lasiurus is derived from the Greek lasios and oura . It contains some of the most attractive bats in the whole continent of North America including such species as the red bat, L. borealis, and the hoary bat, L. cinereus...
.
Distribution and fossil record
The pallid bat occurs in northern Mexico, the western United States (east to KansasKansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
), and marginally southwestern Canada (British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
). It is also found on Cuba; the population there has been classified as a separate species, Antrozous koopmani, by some authorities, but it is now included in the pallid bat. Van Gelder's bat is found from Nayarit
Nayarit
Nayarit officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Nayarit is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 20 municipalities and its capital city is Tepic.It is located in Western Mexico...
in western Mexico south and east to Costa Rica. Most species of Rhogeessa occur in Mexico, but several occur further south, reaching to Bolivia and Brazil. The single species of Baeodon, B. alleni, is restricted to Mexico.
The oldest fossils identified as Antrozous come from the Barstovian
Barstovian
The Barstovian North American Stage on the geologic timescale is the North American faunal stage according to the North American Land Mammal Ages chronology , typically set from 16,300,000 to 13,600,000 years BP, a period of . It is usually considered to overlap the Langhian and Serravallian...
(Middle Miocene
Middle Miocene
The Middle Miocene is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages: the Langhian and Serravallian stages. The Middle Miocene is preceded by the Early Miocene....
) of Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
; however, their attribution to the genus is tentative. Undoubted Antrozous come from the Hemphillian
Hemphillian
The Hemphillian North American Stage on the geologic timescale is the North American faunal stage according to the North American Land Mammal Ages chronology , typically set from 10,300,000 to 4,900,000 years BP, a period of . It is usually considered to overlap the Tortonian epoch of the Late...
(Late Miocene
Late Miocene
The Late Miocene is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages. The Tortonian and Messinian stages comprise the Late Miocene sub-epoch....
) of Texas and additional fossils are from the Pliocene
Pliocene
The Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch...
of Texas, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. No fossils of Bauerus or Baeodon are known; the only fossils of Rhogeessa come from the Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
of Inciarte in Venezuela. In 1969, John A. White named the genus Anzanycteris on the basis of Pliocene fossils from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
(originally identified as Pleistocene) and included it in Nyctophilinae. Later, Malcolm C. McKenna and Susan K. Bell listed Anzanycteris under Antrozoini in their 1997 Classification of Mammals.
Literature cited
- Czaplewski, N.J. 1993. Pizonyx wheeleri Dalquest and Patrick (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from the Miocene of Texas referred to the genus Antrozous H. Allen (subscription required). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 13(3):378–380.
- Czaplewski, N.J., Rincón, A.D. and Morgan, G.S. 2005. Fossil bat (Mammalia: Chiroptera) remains from Inciarte Tar Pit, Sierra de Perijá, Venezuela. Caribbean Journal of Science 41(4):768–781.
- Hoofer, S.R. and Van Den Bussche, R.A. 2001. Phylogenetic relationships of plecotine bats and allies based on mitochondrial ribosomal sequences (subscription required). Journal of Mammalogy 82(1):131–137.
- Hoofer, S.R. and Van Den Bussche, R.A. 2003. Molecular phylogenetics of the chiropteran family Vespertilionidae. Acta Chiropterologica 5(supplement):1–63.
- Kays, R.W. and Wilson, D.E. 2000. Mammals of North America. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 240 pp. ISBN 0-691-07012-1
- McKenna, M.C. and Bell, S.K. 1997. Classification of Mammals: Above the species level. New York: Columbia University Press, 631 pp. ISBN 978-0-231-11013-6
- Miller, G.S., Jr. 1897. Revision of the North American bats of the family Vespertilionidae. North American Fauna 13:1–136.
- Miller, G.S., Jr. 1907. The families and genera of bats. Bulletin of the United States National Museum 57:1–282.
- Pine, R.H., Carter, D.C. and LaVal, R.K. 1971. Status of Bauerus Van Gelder and its relationships to other nyctophiline bats (subscription required). Journal of Mammalogy 52(4):663–669.
- Roehrs, Z.P., Lack, J.B. and Van Den Bussche, R.A. 2010. Tribal phylogenetic relationships within Vespertilioninae (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) based on mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data (subscription required). Journal of Mammalogy 91(5):1073–1092.
- Simmons, N.B. 2005. Order Chiroptera. Pp. 312–529 in Wilson, D.E. and Reeder, D.M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: a taxonomic and geographic reference. 3rd ed. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols., 2142 pp. ISBN 9780801882210
- White, J. A. 1969. Late Cenozoic bats (subfamily Nyctophilinae) from the Anza-Borrego Desert of California. Miscellaneous Publications of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas 51:275–282.
Further reading
- Allen, H. 1862. Descriptions of two new species of Vespertilionide, and some remarks on the genus Antrozous. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 14(1):246–248.
- Koopman, K.F. 1970. Zoogeography of bats. Pp. 29–50 in Slaughter, B.H. and Walton, D.W. (eds.). About Bats: a Chiropteran Biology Symposium. Dallas: Southern Methodist University Press.
- Koopman, K.F. and Jones, J.K., Jr. 1970. Classification of bats. Pp. 22–28 in Slaughter, B.H. and Walton, D.W. (eds.). About Bats: a Chiropteran Biology Symposium. Dallas: Southern Methodist University Press.
- Simmons, N.B. 1998. A reappraisal of interfamilial relationships of bats. Pp. 3–26 in Kunz, T.H. and Racey, P.A. (eds.). Bat Biology and Conservation. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.