Comparative morphology and evolution of the female reproductive tract in macroglossine bats (mammalia, chiroptera)

Comparative morphological analysis of the female reproductive tract in macroglossine bats was undertaken to test the hypothesis that nectarivory arose at least twice within Old World fruit bats. Given that features of the female reproductive tract are not directly involved in adaptations for feeding, this data set should provide a test of the monophyly of macroglossine bats. A cladistic analysis of variation in the structure of the ovaries, oviducts, uterus, and external genitalia supports the hypothesis that Megaloglossus has developed a nectar-feeding habit independent of other macroglossine genera. Most of the variation in female reproductive organs among pteropodids is found in the development of derived external and internal features of the uterus. Fusion of uterine cornua, expansion of the common uterine body, and elaboration of the cervical region are found in a group which includes species of Pteropus, Dobsonia, Nyctimene, and the macroglossines (excluding Megaloglossus). Results of this study are concordant with independent data sets, thus providing a phylogenetic framework to evaluate critically structural and functional design in the evolution of pteropodid feeding mechanisms.