Abstract
ABSTRACTPlatyrrhinus is a genus of leaf-nosed frugivorous bats that are endemic to the Neotropics. P. umbratus occurs in the Andean and costal mountain systems of Venezuela and Colombia. P. nigellus occurs along the Andes from Venezuela to Bolivia. Both species are medium-sized members of the genus possessing confusing taxonomic histories that have never intersected. Four of the 21 recognized species of Platyrrhinus, among them P. umbratus, do not have their taxonomic identification confirmed by molecular analyses. We provide the first genetic data (Cyt-b and ND2 sequences) for the species. Phylogenetic analyses including the new genetic data lead to the conclusion that P. umbratus and P. nigellus are conspecific. Through the use of Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and Ecological Niche Modeling (ENM), we confirm that P. umbratus and P. nigellus share high morphometric and environmental similarities. Based on such integrative approach, we regard P. nigellus as a junior synonym of P. umbratus. We provide an emended diagnosis of P. umbratus (subsuming P. nigellus) and draw morphological comparisons with other species of the genus with which it is sympatric. The conservation status of P. umbratus needs to be determined. The high rate of habitat destruction in the tropical Andes may soon cause P. umbratus to be reassigned to the Near-Threatened (NT) category of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Highlights
The genus Platyrrhinus Saussure, 1860 (Phyllostomidae: Stenodermatinae) includes 21 species of frugivorous bats that are endemic to the Neotropics [1,2,3,4]
We evaluated morphometric differences between populations of Platyrrhinus nigellus and P. umbratus, and between sexes of both species, by means of a Principal Components Analysis (PCA) based on the variance–covariance matrix
By regarding Platyrrhinus nigellus as a junior synonym of P. umbratus, we reduce the number of recognized species of Platyrrhinus to 20
Summary
The genus Platyrrhinus Saussure, 1860 (Phyllostomidae: Stenodermatinae) includes 21 species of frugivorous bats that are endemic to the Neotropics [1,2,3,4]. P. umbratus (= Vampyrops umbratus) was described by Lyon [13] based on three specimens from La Guajira department of northern Colombia [3,14] In his revision of the genus, Sanborn [15] synonymized P. umbratus under P. dorsalis. P. nigellus (= Vampyrops nigellus), which was described by Gardner and Carter [23] based on specimens from central Peru, was deemed by Koopman [24] to be a subspecies of P. lineatus This treatment was maintained for more than two decades [17,20,25,26,27], until Velazco and Solari [10] started again to treat P. lineatus and P. nigellus as different species. Sección de Zoología, Departamento de Biología, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
