Myotis Research Articles

SINE-Based Phylogenomics Reveal Extensive Introgression and Incomplete Lineage Sorting in Myotis.

Using presence/absence data from over 10,000 Ves SINE insertions, we reconstructed a phylogeny for 11 Myotis species. With nearly one-third of individual Ves gene trees discordant with the overall species tree, phylogenetic conflict appears to be rampant in this genus. From the observed conflict, we infer that ILS is likely a major contributor to the discordance. Much of the discordance can be attributed to the hypothesized split between the Old World and New World Myotis clades and with the first radiation of Myotis within the New World. Quartet asymmetry tests reveal signs of introgression between Old and New World taxa that may have persisted until approximately 8 MYA. Our introgression tests also revealed evidence of both historic and more recent, perhaps even contemporary, gene flow among Myotis species of the New World. Our findings suggest that hybridization likely played an important role in the evolutionary history of Myotis and may still be happening in areas of sympatry. Despite limitations arising from extreme discordance, our SINE-based phylogeny better resolved deeper relationships (particularly the positioning of M. brandtii) and was able to identify potential introgression pathways among the Myotis species sampled.

Evaluation of different monitoring methods at maternity roosts of greater mouse-eared bats (Myotis myotis)

In recent years, biodiversity has declined faster than ever before in human history. Appropriate monitoring methods are needed to detect the decline of populations in time to be able to take conservation measures. Information on population dynamics can only be obtained by conducting standardised monitoring programmes, and the quality of the data depends on the survey method used. The present study aims to provide scientifically sound recommendations for the selection of a suitable survey method for emerging flights at greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis) maternity roosts. For this purpose, three survey methods, namely infrared video recordings, counting by light barriers and visual counting of emerging bats, were used simultaneously for 4–5 nights at three different maternity roosts in 2019 and comparatively evaluated. Besides the quality of the counting data, the requirements and limitations of the different methods were compared and discussed. The results of this study showed that the number of emerging flights detected with all three survey methods were closely correlated, regardless of location, number of emerging flights per night (between 300 and 800) and season. Furthermore, it was shown that the presence of the observer and infrared video recordings had no significant influence on the emergence behaviour of the bats recorded by light barriers concerning the time of emergence, the duration of activity and the number of counts. As the three methods differed with regard to additional parameters, such as the need for technical equipment or qualified personnel, the time required, the costs and the error-proneness individual settings and requirements should be taken into account when deciding about the method used. However, for the continuous monitoring of greater mouse-eared bats at their maternity roosts, which is part of the monitoring requirements under the European Union Habitats Directive, the use of light barriers proved to be the method of choice, in particular as it allows to promptly detect changes in the bats’ activity as a basis for conservation measures.

From greener times: a new species of Thick-thumbed Myotis from Phnom Penh, Cambodia

A new species of Myotis is described from Cambodia. The species is characterised by its fleshy, bicolored thumb, large foot sole, full dentition, relatively short rostrum, and high frontal part of skull. The species is currently only known from the city of Phnom Penh.

Intraspecific Variation of Myotis emarginatus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) Inferred from Mitochondrial and Nuclear Genetic Markers

Geoffroy's bat, Myotis emarginatus, is the only species of the African clade of the genus Myotis distributed in the south-western part of the Palaearctic. Due to its extensive distribution range, stretching across several ecologic zones from the European and African Mediterranean, Central Europe, through the Levant and Caucasus to West Turkestan and south-eastern Middle East, this bat is traditionally considered to be a variable and polytypic species. While one subspecies was recognized in Europe and North Africa, up to four subspecies were reported from the Asian part of the species range. Nevertheless, the systematic positions of different populations and the validity of particular taxa remained unclear. Our aim was to revise the phylogenetic status of M. emarginatus and, for the first time, genetically analyse samples from the Asian part of its range to provide new insight into its intraspecific variation. We analysed sequences of two mitochondrial and three nuclear markers from more than 130 samples from all parts of the species range, together with sequences from other species from the African clade of the genus Myotis. According to the previous morphometric results of body and skull dimensions, M. emarginatus can be divided into two groups of populations: the small-sized and more variable bats of Europe, the Maghreb and Levant; and the large-sized bats of the rest of the Asian range. This division was well supported by mitochondrial genes, which separated two main lineages within the species: the western lineage from Europe, the Maghreb and Levant; and the eastern lineage from the eastern Middle East and West Turkestan. Both mitochondrial lineages were further divided into two sublineages: the western lineage to sublineages from the Holy Land and the rest of the Mediterranean range; and the eastern lineage to sublineages from Oman and southern Iran, and northern Iran and West Turkestan. In contrast, the nuclear genes reconstructed only one lineage through the whole distribution range, suggesting M. emarginatus to be a monophyletic species. Nevertheless, on the basis of previously described geographical variability in morphology and the newly described mitochondrial variation, we recognize two subspecies within M. emarginatus: small-sized M. e. emarginatus distributed in the Mediterranean, western and central Europe and Levant; and large-sized M. e. desertorum in the eastern Middle East, from Oman to West Turkestan.

The Myotis chiloensis Guano Virome: Viral Nucleic Acid Enrichments for High-Resolution Virome Elucidation and Full Alphacoronavirus Genome Assembly.

Bats are widespread mammals of the order Chiroptera. They are key for ecosystem functioning, participating in crucial processes. Their unique ability amongst mammals to fly long distances, their frequently large population sizes, and their longevity favor infectious agent persistence and spread. This includes a large variety of viruses, encompassing many important zoonotic ones that cause severe diseases in humans and domestic animals. Despite this, the understanding of the viral ecological diversity residing in bat populations remains unclear, which complicates the determination of the origins of zoonotic viruses. To gain knowledge on the viral community of a widely distributed insectivorous bat species, we characterized the guano virome of a native Chilean bat species (Myotis chiloensis (Waterhouse, 1840)). By applying a novel enrichment strategy, we were able to secure a consequent percentage of viral reads, providing unprecedented resolution for a bat virome. This in turn enabled us to identify and assemble a new bat alphacoronavirus from Chilean bats closely related to PEDV, an important viral pathogen with high mortality rates in suckling piglets. This study highlights the importance of applying and improving high-resolution virome studies in this vital order to ultimately enhance epidemiological surveillance for potentially zoonotic pathogens.

Morphometric Analysis and Sexual-Size Dimorphism of Myotis punicus (Chiroptera, Mammalia) in Bejaia (North Algeria)

In the past, morphometric studies were restricted to quantitative description. In recent years, the use of morphometric has increased in ecological research and has been well recognized as a new approach in morphological studies, because morphometric data have been proven to be an important source of information to understand many biological phenomena especially in bats. According to specialists on chiropterology external morphology is commonly used to identify bats as well as to investigate flight and foraging behavior, typically relying on simple length and area measures or ratios. Traditionally three species of the genus Myotis belonging to the family Vespertilionidae have been reported from the Maghreb: M. myotis, M. punicus, and M.blythii, but recent studies indicate that only the maghrebian mouse- eared bat Myotis punicus occurs there. This species is difficult to identify as it has a mixture of characters from both the other two species. Therefore, its systematic position has long been troubled. The morphometric analysis of the species was done only in Corsica (France), Malta and Europe but not in Algeria, the current paper presents the result of a its morphometric data and a sexual-size dimorphism. The IUCN red list of threatened species (2008) lists Myotis punicus as deficient data, indicating that more data are needed for categorization and population trends.

Фауна и распространение млекопитающих Ставропольского края

Introduction. Mammals are of great practical importance for humans as hunting species, agricultural pests, carriers of especially dangerous infections. Only in Stavropol region, about 20 species from three orders (rodents, insectivores and hares) are known as carriers and reservoirs of such dangerous diseases for humans as plague, tularemia, Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever. The last generalizing publication on the mammals fauna of Stavropol region was made in 2000. It contains 89 taxa of the species rank. Since then, both qualitative and quantitative changes have taken place in the mammalian fauna of the region. In addition, the taxonomic status of a number of species has been revised. Materials and methods of research. The list of mammals of Stavropol region was compiled on the basis of our own long-term research and analysis of literary sources in accordance with modern systematic views on this group of animals. Results. In total, 90 species of mammals belonging to six orders have been reliably registered on the Stavropol region territory so far: insectivores – 9 species, bats – 19 species, lagomorphs – 1 species, rodents – 35 species, carnivores – 19 species and artiodactyls – 7 species. We did not include a number of species in the list due to the unreliability or lack of their findings in the region as such. Conclusions. In addition to the previously published list, we provide 9 new species (Myotis davidii, Plecotus macrobullaris, Pipistrellus nathusii, Sylvaemus witherbyi, Sylvaemus ponticus, Microtus rossiaemeridionalis, Procyon lotor, Neovison vison, Capreolus pygargus). Eight species are alien to the region’s fauna (Sciurus vulgaris, Ondatra zibethicus, Marmota bobac, Nyctereutes procyonoides, Procyon lotor, Neovison vison, Capreolus pygargus, Cervus nippon).

Taxonomic revision of Myotis emarginatus: detailed morphometric analysis and final evaluation of the evidence (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)

The Geoffroy’s bat, Myotis emarginatus, is the only species distributed in the Palaearctic belonging to the African clade of the genus Myotis. It occurs extensively across several ecologic zones of Europe, north-western Africa, and western and central Asia, and hence it was considered to be a polytypic species. Only one subspecies was reported from Europe and North Africa, up to four subspecies were recognised in Asia. However, the validity of particular taxa as well as the systematic positions of different populations remained ambiguous. Here we present a revision of the intraspecific phylogenetic structure of M. emarginatus based on combination of the available results of a molecular genetic analysis with the results of a thorough morphologic examination of an extensive specimen set from almost the whole range of its distribution. The previously described geographic variability in the mitochondrial markers demonstrated grouping of haplotypes of M. emarginatus into three main lineages that occur in (1) the Mediterranean Basin (including central Europe, the Maghreb and Levant), (2) Oman and south-eastern Iran, and (3) northern Iran and West Turkestan. The morphologic comparison uncovered the existence of four main, geographically exclusive morphotypes in M. emarginatus, concerning the body, skull and tooth sizes, and skull and tooth shapes: (1) rather small bats with short rostrum and high braincase, occurring in Europe and north-western Africa; (2) rather medium-sized bats with long rostrum and short braincase from the Levant including Cyprus; (3) large bats with wide and long rostrum from the south-eastern parts of the Middle East, including Oman, south-eastern Iran and eastern Afghanistan, and (4) large bats with narrow and short rostrum, occurring in Crimea, the Caucasus region, and West Turkestan. As a synthesis of the results of both approaches, we suggest to recognise three subspecies within the Myotis emarginatus species rank – M. e. emarginatus (Geoffroy, 1806) distributed in the Mediterranean, central and western Europe, north-western Africa, and in the Levant; M. e. desertorum (Dobson, 1875) in the south-eastern Middle East, including southern Iran, Oman, and Afghanistan; and M. e. turcomanicus (Bobrinskoj, 1925) in the Caucasus region, Crimea, Transcaucasia, and West Turkestan.

Evaluating the potential of urban areas for bat conservation with citizen science data

Global change, including urbanisation, threatens many of the >1400 bat species. Nevertheless, certain areas within highly urbanised cities may be suitable to harbour bat populations. Thus, managing urban habitats could contribute to bat conservation. Here, we wanted to establish evidence-based recommendations on how to improve urban spaces for the protection of bats. In a team effort with >200 citizen scientists, we recorded bat vocalisations up to six times over the course of 2 years at each of 600 predefined sites in the Berlin metropolitan area. For each species we identified the preferred and non-preferred landscape features. Our results show that artificial light at night (ALAN) had a negative impact on all species. For soprano pipistrelles and mouse-eared bats ALAN had the largest effect sizes among all environmental predictors. Canopy cover and open water were especially important for bat species that forage along vegetation edges and for trawling bats, respectively. Occurrence probability of species foraging in open space decreased with increasing distance to water bodies. On a larger scale, impervious surfaces tended to have positive effects on some species that are specialised on foraging along edge structures. Our study constitutes an important contribution to the growing body of literature showing that despite the many negative impacts of urbanisation on wildlife, urban environments can harbour bat populations if certain conditions are met, such as access to vegetation and water bodies and low levels of ALAN. Our findings are of high relevance for urban planners and conservationists, as they allow inferences on how to manage urban spaces in a bat-friendly way. We recommend limiting ALAN to the minimum necessary and maintaining and creating uninterrupted vegetated corridors between areas with high levels of canopy cover and water bodies, in which ALAN should be entirely avoided.

Теріофауна заплави Дніпра у Києві: стан та зміни за останні 100 років

The mammal fauna state of the Dnipro River’s floodplain within the city of Kyiv is considered. Information on mammals in this region from the first half of the 20th century to the present has been summarized. The change of species abundance and its possible causes are analysed. The general impoverishment of the mammal fauna has been revealed. Due to the transformation of natural complexes and the advancement of human activity in the floodplain, a number of mammal species have disappeared or decreased in number. Among the extinct species is the European mink. A number of other aboriginal species such as otters, ermines, water voles and others have become rare and need protection. At the same time, changing conditions in the floodplain contributed to the recovery of populations of some other species, such as the beaver. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, such synanthropic species as the brown rat, the house mouse, the serotine bat, Kuhl's pipistrelle, and the white-breasted hedgehog have firmly established here. The development of the floodplain by humans has led to the synanthropization of a number of mammal species. An example is the stone marten, which was not previously known in the floodplain. The degree of synanthropization of a number of floodplain-related bats (for example, mouse-eared bats) and insectivores (for example, moles) is also high. The appearance of new species in the floodplain was due to a radical change in conditions, in particular the cessation of spring floods, which led to hedgehogs, moles, and hares becoming permanent residents. The press of hunting in adjacent territories leads to regular migrations of ungulates to the territory of floodplain in Kyiv. The share of alien species is high; among them are the American mink and the raccoon dog. To protect the rare mammal species of the Dnipro’s floodplain, a number of protected areas of local significance have been created in Kyiv, which hinders the development of the floodplain, as well as contributes to the preservation of natural complexes. It is important to create a number of new protected areas and include the most valuable sites into the protected zone of the projected Dnipro Islands National Nature Park. It is also necessary to take a number of mammal species under the protection of the local council, which is especially important in relation to the European mole, Eurasian water shrew, harvest mouse, forest marten, European badger, common weasel, roe deer, and European water vole.

Sexual size dimorphism and geographic variation in forearm length of Rafinesque’s Big-eared Bat (Corynorhinus rafinesquii) and Southeastern Myotis (Myotis austroriparius)

Abstract Sexual size dimorphism is common in many taxa and results from various pressures, including competition, reproductive requirements, functional differences, and sexual recognition. For mammals, males are typically the larger sex; however, for vespertilionid bats, females are more often the larger sex. Forearm length, a feature that influences overall wing and body size and is often sexually dimorphic, is a standard morphological measurement taken from bats. Forearm length was measured in two vesper bat species (Corynorhinus rafinesquii and Myotis austroriparius) that co-occur across much of the southeastern United States. Forearm length was greater in females of both species, and females of both species also exhibited regional variation in forearm length. By having a longer forearm and therefore being larger in size, females may be more maneuverable and better equipped to carry young. While this study did not directly investigate the mechanisms behind regional variation in forearm length, it is possible this is the result of variability in habitat types, resources, or thermodynamic constraints. Knowledge of sexually dimorphic characteristics is important for obtaining a general understanding of a species and its morphology.

Variation in the Myotis keaysi complex (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae), with description of a new species from Ecuador

Abstract The genus Myotis comprises a diverse group of vespertilionid bats with worldwide distribution. Twenty-eight Neotropical species are currently recognized. In this study, we evaluate molecular and morphological variation in the M. keaysi complex, a high elevation clade of Neotropical myotine bats characterized by complex taxonomy and high morphological variation. A phylogeny inferred with cytochrome-b sequences recovered two clades composed of samples traditionally assigned to M. keaysi, with 9% of genetic divergence between them. These clades were also suggested as putative distinct species by molecular species delimitation methods. Qualitative and quantitative morphological analyses indicated a phenotypic discontinuity between specimens from central Andes (including the holotype of M. keaysi) and western lowlands of Ecuador, showing strong congruence between molecular and morphological approaches. We therefore describe a new species for the Tumbes-Choco-Magdalena region, documenting their external and cranial diagnostic characters by comparing them with other Neotropical species. In addition, we provide an emended diagnosis for our new concept of M. keaysi.

A new species of Myotis (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) from Uruguay

Abstract The genus Myotis comprises a diverse group of vesper bats with worldwide distribution. Twenty-eight neotropical species are currently recognized. Based on a morphological approach, we describe a new species of Myotis from the Uruguayan Pampas grasslands, an ecoregion under high anthropogenic pressure with a largely unknown bat fauna. Qualitative and quantitative morphological analyses support the recognition of the new species and we present a set of external and cranial diagnostic characters by comparing them with other neotropical Myotis species. The new species reassembles Myotis riparius, but can be distinguished by a set of qualitative and quantitative morphological traits, including its clearly bicolored dorsal fur, tricolored ventral fur, a pelage on the dorsal surface of uropatagium, sagittal crest lower, braincase lower in lateral view and overall smaller size.

Three-dimensional stratification pattern in an old-growth lowland forest: How does height in canopy and season influence temperate bat activity?

The study of animal–habitat interactions is of primary importance for the formulation of conservation recommendations. Flying, gliding, and climbing animals have the ability to exploit their habitat in a three‐dimensional way, and the vertical canopy structure in forests plays an essential role for habitat suitability. Forest bats as flying mammals may seasonally shift their microhabitat use due to differing energy demands or changing prey availability, but the patterns are not well understood. We investigated three‐dimensional and seasonal habitat use by insectivorous bats in a temperate lowland old‐growth forest, the Belovezhskaya Pushcha in Belarus. We acoustically sampled broadleaved and mixed coniferous plots in the forest interior and in gaps in three heights during two reproductive periods (pregnancy/lactation vs. postlactation). In canopy gaps, vertical stratification in bat activity was less pronounced than in the forest interior. Vertical activity patterns differed among species. The upper canopy levels were important foraging habitats for the open‐space forager guild and for some edge‐space foragers like the Barbastelle bat Barbastella barbastellus and the soprano pipistrelle Pipistrellus pygmaeus. Myotis species had highest activity levels near the ground in forest gaps. Moreover, we found species‐dependent seasonal microhabitat shifts. Generally, all species and species groups considered except Myotis species showed higher activity levels during postlactation. Myotis species tended toward higher activity in the forest interior during postlactation. P. pygmaeus switched from high activity levels in the upper canopy during pregnancy and lactation to high activity levels near the ground during postlactation. We conclude that a full comprehension of forest bat habitat use is only possible when height in canopy and seasonal patterns are considered.

Activity Pattern and Correlation between Bat and Insect Abundance at Wind Turbines in South Sweden.

Simple SummaryWind power is an important energy system in the global transition towards renewable energy. As new wind farms are erected in increasing numbers, they will have an impact on many organisms, e.g., through habitat changes and collision mortalities. In this study, we measure bat activity, insect abundance, and weather conditions to test the hypothesis that insect abundance attracts bats to wind turbines because of feeding opportunities. We found that the relationship between insect abundance and bat activity was relatively weak, providing some support for the feeding-attraction hypothesis. However, we also found a strong correlation between bat passes and weather conditions. This suggests that stop-regulation based on weather conditions might be a solution to avoid collisions. However, this study highlights some of the problems with defining the limits for stop-regulation, as bat activity may be high also at relatively high wind speeds and low temperatures.We present data on species composition and activity of bats during two years at three different wind- turbines, located in south Sweden, both at the base and nacelle height. To test the hypothesis that bats are attracted to wind turbines because of feeding opportunities, insects were sampled at nacelle height at one wind turbine using a suction trap, simultaneously as bat activity were measured. At this wind turbine, we also compared two different technical systems for ultrasound recordings and collect meteorological data. The variation in bat activity was high between nights and between wind turbines. In addition to the expected open-air foraging species (Pipistrellus, Nyctalus, Vespertilio and Eptesicus), some individuals of unexpected species (Myotis, Barbastella, and Plecotus) were found at nacelle height. There was a weak but significant positive relation between bat activity and insect abundance, so the hypothesis could not be rejected, suggesting there might be other factors than insect abundance explaining the frequency of bat visits at the nacelle. We found a strong correlation between bat passes and weather conditions. A reasonable way to mitigate collisions is with stop-regulation. However, this study highlights some of the problems with defining the limits for stop-regulation based on weather conditions.

Wildlife crossings increase bat connectivity: Evidence from Northern Germany

Although roads are important cultural objects in our society, they can have negative impacts on the environment. Bat populations are affected by roads in several ways, including habitat loss, death due to collision with vehicles, and reduced habitat connectivity. In recent years, different mitigation practices have been introduced to help animals safely cross roads, reduce road kills, and minimize habitat fragmentation. This study aims to investigate to what extent two types of existing wildlife crossings (a green bridge and an underpass) on the A21 highway (in Northern Germany) are used by bats. All-night acoustic recordings of bat activity at the wildlife crossings, on the highway, and in the surroundings show that bats use both mitigation structures. Our results indicate that bats use mitigation structures depending on their degree of clutter-adaptation: Species from the genus Myotis, which are highly clutter-adapted, were the most recorded in the underpass, while Pipistrellus spp., which are less clutter-adapted, were the most recorded on the Green Bridge. Contrary to expectations, many bat passes were registered on the highway as well. Long-term monitoring studies are needed (including counting of bat fatalities) to clarify if further mitigation measures are needed. In conclusion, the use of wildlife crossings as mitigation structures can be effective, mostly for clutter-adapted species (Myotis spp. and Plecotus auritus).

For consideration as an Article in the Discoveries section of MBE Aging at evolutionary crossroads: longitudinal gene co-expression network analyses of proximal and ultimate causes of aging in bats

How, when and why do organisms, their tissues and their cells age remain challenging issues, although researchers have identified multiple mechanistic causes of aging, and three major evolutionary theories have been developed to unravel the ultimate causes of organismal aging. A central hypothesis of these theories is that the strength of natural selection decreases with age. However, empirical evidence on when, why and how organisms age is phylogenetically limited, especially in natural populations. Here, we developed generic comparisons of gene co-expression networks that quantify and dissect the heterogeneity of gene co-expression in conspecific individuals from different age-classes to provide topological evidence about some mechanical and fundamental causes of organismal aging. We applied this approach to investigate the complexity of some proximal and ultimate causes of aging phenotypes in a natural population of the greater mouse-eared bat Myotis myotis, a remarkably long-lived species given its body size and metabolic rate, with available longitudinal blood transcriptomes. Myotis gene co-expression networks become increasingly fragmented with age, suggesting an erosion of the strength of natural selection and a general dysregulation of gene co-expression in aging bats. However, selective pressures remain sufficiently strong to allow successive emergence of homogeneous age-specific gene co-expression patterns, for at least seven years. Thus, older individuals from long-lived species appear to sit at an evolutionary crossroad: as they age, they experience both a decrease in the strength of natural selection and a targeted selection for very specific biological processes, further inviting to refine a central hypothesis in evolutionary aging theories.

Aging at Evolutionary Crossroads: Longitudinal Gene Co-expression Network Analyses of Proximal and Ultimate Causes of Aging in Bats.

How, when, and why do organisms, their tissues, and their cells age remain challenging issues, although researchers have identified multiple mechanistic causes of aging, and three major evolutionary theories have been developed to unravel the ultimate causes of organismal aging. A central hypothesis of these theories is that the strength of natural selection decreases with age. However, empirical evidence on when, why, and how organisms age is phylogenetically limited, especially in natural populations. Here, we developed generic comparisons of gene co-expression networks that quantify and dissect the heterogeneity of gene co-expression in conspecific individuals from different age-classes to provide topological evidence about some mechanical and fundamental causes of organismal aging. We applied this approach to investigate the complexity of some proximal and ultimate causes of aging phenotypes in a natural population of the greater mouse-eared bat Myotis myotis, a remarkably long-lived species given its body size and metabolic rate, with available longitudinal blood transcriptomes. M. myotis gene co-expression networks become increasingly fragmented with age, suggesting an erosion of the strength of natural selection and a general dysregulation of gene co-expression in aging bats. However, selective pressures remain sufficiently strong to allow successive emergence of homogeneous age-specific gene co-expression patterns, for at least 7 years. Thus, older individuals from long-lived species appear to sit at an evolutionary crossroad: as they age, they experience both a decrease in the strength of natural selection and a targeted selection for very specific biological processes, further inviting to refine a central hypothesis in evolutionary aging theories.

Endangered Myotis bats forage in regeneration openings in a managed forest

Bat populations face numerous threats, including the loss of forests in which they roost and forage. Present-day forests are commonly managed for timber harvesting, recreation, and wildlife. Understanding bat responses to forest management is crucial for balancing the conservation of endangered bats and forest restoration. We used radio telemetry to study nocturnal movements and habitat selection patterns of female and juvenile bats of two forest-dependent, federally listed bat species in an oak-dominated managed forest. We estimated foraging space use and assessed habitat selection for 33 northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis) and 25 Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis) from May to August 2014–2017 in south-central Indiana, USA. Myotis septentrionalis space use averaged 176 ha and bats selected water, historic thinning, and patch cuts (≤4 ha) over other habitats, with all but one bat avoiding larger openings (≥4-ha clearcuts). Myotis sodalis space use averaged 343 ha and bats selected 4-ha patch cuts, historic openings, and historic thinning over other habitats. In contrast to M. septentrionalis, one-third of the M. sodalis foraged over larger clearcuts, while two-thirds foraged over smaller openings and thinnings. We showed that bats were attracted to small regeneration harvests of varying structural ages. Forests maintained for a mix of mature stands, thinned stands, shelterwoods, small regenerative cuts (<7 ha), and small water sources should provide suitable foraging habitat for these endangered Myotis species, while also promoting forest regeneration.

MUTATIONAL CONSERVATION, EVOLUTIONARY AND FUNCTIONAL UNDERSTANDING OF PROTO-ONCOGENE c-FOS

c-Fos protein has a function in different types of cancers and is expressed mostly in neurons. It is a human homolog of the viral oncogene. c-Fos is a member of the FOS gene family, these genes interact with the JUN family member to form transcription factors and play a major role in neurons cell development. These genes were also used as an early marker, in neuronal cells to determine early growth and functional features of the neuroendocrine system. Losses in gene function due to mutation leads to neuronal death and have a function in apoptosis. This study has performed mutational conservation in the c-Fos gene across different species. the c-Fos protein sequence was retrieved from the UniProt database (P01100). Total forty nine (49) homologous sequences with the c-Fos protein sequence were identified using the BLASTp tool. Multiple sequence alignment (MSA) and phylogenetic tree construction was done using the MEGA tool. The phylogenetic tree shows that the c-Fos protein of Homosapiens was closely related to Pan troglodytes. UPGMA tree also shows the evolutionary relationship between c-Fos proteins and with the other 49 species included in the dataset. Evolutionary study shows that Myotis species was the common evolutionary species and predicted as root for all other species hence c-Fos gene might have an evolutionary link with these species. Myotis are the most wide diverged species and belongs to the genus of bats. This study highlights the similarity and evolutionary relationship of the c-Fos gene. In this research detailed analysis of evolutionary analysis, PPI, GO, Disease Enrichment was done to understand the functional and evolutionary aspects of c-FOS protein. This study identifies the evolutionary relationship, protein-protein interaction and pathway enrichment of the c-FOS protein. This research can be further extended to include ligand screening and identification of potential ligand against c-FOS protein for drug development and discovery.