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Wing morphology predicts geographic range size in vespertilionid bats
Bo Luo1,2, Sharlene E Santana3, Yulan Pang4
1Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation of Ministry of Education, China West Normal University, 1 Shida Road, Nanchong, 637002, China. luob041@nenu.edu.cn.
Scientific Reports
|March 16, 2019
Summary
Dispersal capacity, measured by wing morphology, influences the geographic range size of vespertilionid bats. Bats with higher wing loading and specific wing aspect ratios tend to have larger distribution ranges.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Biogeography
- Zoology
Background:
- Understanding factors driving species' geographic range size is a key ecological and biogeographical question.
- Dispersal ability is hypothesized to influence range size, but this relationship is uncertain in mammals.
- Vespertilionid bats provide a model system to investigate dispersal-range size relationships in flying mammals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if dispersal capacity, inferred from wing morphology, predicts geographic range size in vespertilionid bats.
- To analyze the influence of wing loading and wing aspect ratio on bat species' distribution.
- To examine these relationships within a phylogenetic comparative framework.
Main Methods:
- Compiled data on range area, longitudinal extent, wing morphology, migratory habit, and biogeographic realm for 126 vespertilionid bat species.
- Employed phylogenetic regression analyses to assess associations between predictor variables and range size.
- Controlled for the effects of migration and biogeographic realm in the statistical models.
Main Results:
- Species with higher wing loading exhibited significantly larger distribution ranges.
- Wing aspect ratio was also found to be associated with the size of geographic ranges in bats.
- Phylogenetic regressions confirmed these relationships while accounting for migration and biogeographic factors.
Conclusions:
- Wing morphology, as a proxy for dispersal capacity, is a significant predictor of geographic range size in vespertilionid bats.
- Dispersal ability plays a crucial role in shaping the distribution patterns of flying mammals.
- These findings contribute to understanding the ecological and evolutionary factors determining species' biogeographic limits.
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