Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Convergent Evolution01:54

Convergent Evolution

31.3K
Evolution shapes the features of organisms over time, ensuring that they are suited for the environments in which they live. Sometimes, selection pressure leads to the rise of similar but unrelated adaptations in organisms with no recent common ancestors, a process known as convergent evolution.
31.3K
Optimal Foraging00:48

Optimal Foraging

13.3K
How animals obtain and eat their food is called foraging behavior. Foraging can include searching for plants and hunting for prey and depends on the species and environment.
13.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Convergent mechanisms, divergent strategies: a comparison of nectar intake between a generalist and a specialist bat species.

The Journal of experimental biology·2026
Same author

The evolution of darter color and pattern: small, rocky streams and riffles enhance the diversification of bright and conspicuous fishes.

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution·2025
Same author

Extending mammal specimens with their essential phenotypic traits.

Journal of mammalogy·2025
Same author

Functional microanatomy of nasal turbinals in bats.

Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)·2025
Same author

Hitting rock bottom: exaptation, ecological filtering, and the benthopelagic divergence of percid fishes.

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution·2025
Same author

Frugivore Traits Predict Plant-Frugivore Interactions Using Generalized Joint Attribute Modeling.

Ecology and evolution·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 1, 2026

Isolation and Time-Lapse Imaging of Primary Mouse Embryonic Palatal Mesenchyme Cells to Analyze Collective Movement Attributes
07:13

Isolation and Time-Lapse Imaging of Primary Mouse Embryonic Palatal Mesenchyme Cells to Analyze Collective Movement Attributes

Published on: February 13, 2021

2.6K

Mind the gap: natural cleft palates reduce biting performance in bats.

Abigail A Curtis1, Jessica H Arbour2, Sharlene E Santana2,3

  • 1Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1800, USA abigailacurtis@gmail.com.

The Journal of Experimental Biology
|December 20, 2019
PubMed
Summary

Bat cleft palates, common in 50% of species, reduce biting performance. Skull shape evolution may compensate for this trait, which is linked to skull robustness.

Keywords:
BatsBitingCranial morphologyFinite element analysisGeometric morphometricsVespertilionidae

More Related Videos

Method of Studying Palatal Fusion using Static Organ Culture
04:58

Method of Studying Palatal Fusion using Static Organ Culture

Published on: September 19, 2015

9.3K
Tissue Collection of Bats for -Omics Analyses and Primary Cell Culture
15:31

Tissue Collection of Bats for -Omics Analyses and Primary Cell Culture

Published on: October 23, 2019

12.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 1, 2026

Isolation and Time-Lapse Imaging of Primary Mouse Embryonic Palatal Mesenchyme Cells to Analyze Collective Movement Attributes
07:13

Isolation and Time-Lapse Imaging of Primary Mouse Embryonic Palatal Mesenchyme Cells to Analyze Collective Movement Attributes

Published on: February 13, 2021

2.6K
Method of Studying Palatal Fusion using Static Organ Culture
04:58

Method of Studying Palatal Fusion using Static Organ Culture

Published on: September 19, 2015

9.3K
Tissue Collection of Bats for -Omics Analyses and Primary Cell Culture
15:31

Tissue Collection of Bats for -Omics Analyses and Primary Cell Culture

Published on: October 23, 2019

12.8K

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Comparative Anatomy
  • Biomechanics

Background:

  • Cleft palate is a congenital condition in mammals, but common and non-pathological in ~50% of bat species.
  • The evolutionary paradox of widespread, yet potentially deleterious, traits requires investigation.
  • Understanding bat cleft palate evolution offers insights into mammalian craniofacial development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore evolutionary patterns of cleft palate morphology in bats (Vespertilionidae).
  • To test the correlation between cleft morphology and overall skull shape.
  • To experimentally assess the biomechanical impact of cleft palates on skull performance during biting.

Main Methods:

  • Linear and geometric morphometrics within a phylogenetic framework.
  • Finite element (FE) analysis to model skull performance.
  • Comparison of FE models with natural vs. digitally filled cleft palates in the hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus).

Main Results:

  • Cleft palate length and width correlate with skull shape: narrower/shallower clefts in gracile skulls, broader/deeper clefts in robust skulls.
  • FE analysis revealed natural cleft palates reduce bite force and increase skull stress/strain.
  • Rostrum safety factors were significantly higher in models with filled clefts.

Conclusions:

  • Bat cleft palates demonstrably reduce biting performance.
  • Skull robusticity likely evolved as a compensatory mechanism for reduced biting performance due to cleft palates.
  • This study elucidates the functional consequences and evolutionary adaptations related to cleft palates in bats.