Molecular Phylogenetics of the Bat GenusScotophilus(Chiroptera: vespertilionidae): Perspectives from Paternally and Maternally Inherited Genomes

Abstract

Scotophilus occurs throughout sub-Saharan Africa, parts of southern and southeastern Asia, a majority of the Indomalayan Islands, Reunion Island, and Madagascar. The genus is in the family Vespertilionidae, subfamily Vespertilioninae, and tribe Scotophilini (Hoofer and Van Den Bussche 2003). The type specimen of the genus (S. kuhlii) was 1st described by Leach (1821) based on a single immature specimen. However, the holotype still retained its deciduous milk teeth, which prompted debate on the validity of the genus. Nonetheless, earlier zoologists were applying the name Scotophilus to almost every bat in the family Vespertilionidae with fewer than 38 teeth, resulting in taxonomic confusion (Dobson 1875).