Collaborative Research: Higher-Level Relationships Among Microchiropteran Bats Based on Mitochondrial Gene Sequences, Morphology and Echolocation Call Structure

合作研究：基于线粒体基因序列、形态学和回声定位呼叫结构的小翼手目蝙蝠之间的高级关系

• 批准号: 9873663
• 负责人: Nancy Simmons
• 金额: $ 10.2万
• 依托单位: American Museum Natural History
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1999
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1999-03-15 至 2003-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9873663&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Higher; Level; Relationships

Simmons DEB 9873663Almost one-fifth of living mammal species are echolocating bats of the suborder Microchiroptera. These animals play a variety of important ecological roles. Most species prey on nocturnal insects, while others are essential for plant pollination or seed dispersal. Increasing human impact on bat populations and species has serious implications for agriculture and pest management. Despite many previous studies, there is still little agreement among biologists concerning relationships among the different groups of bats. Of particular concern are relationships among higher-level bat groups (e.g., genera and families). Without such knowledge, it is difficult to interpret the wide ranges of variation in wing architecture, sonar capabilities, and ecology seen in different bat groups. A clear understanding of bat diversity, important for setting conservation priorities, also depends upon resolving the relationships of bats. In this study, the problem of bat relationships will be addressed through detailed analyses of DNA structure of mitochondrial genes, anatomy, and structure of the echolocation calls (sonar signals) of a wide variety of bat species. The objective of these studies will be to identify similarities and differences that can be used to evaluate historical relationships. Data collected in this study will be employed in a variety of computer-assisted analyses designed to produce testable hypotheses of relationships among and within families of microchiropteran bats. The relationships of microchiropteran bats to other mammalian lineages will also be investigated. This study will provide a new framework for understanding the structural design, behavior, and ecology of bats.

Simmons DEB 9873663最五分之一的活哺乳动物物种是亚顺序微脊髓翅目的蝙蝠。 这些动物扮演着各种重要的生态角色。 大多数物种捕食夜间昆虫，而其他物种对于植物授粉或种子分散至关重要。 人类对蝙蝠种群和物种的影响增加对农业和害虫管理具有严重的影响。 尽管以前的研究有许多研究，但生物学家就不同的蝙蝠组之间的关系仍然很少。 特别关心的是高级蝙蝠群（例如属和家庭）之间的关系。 没有这样的知识，很难解释机翼建筑，声纳能力和生态学的差异范围。 对蝙蝠多样性的明确理解，对于设定保护优先级重要，也取决于解决蝙蝠的关系。 在这项研究中，将通过详细分析线粒体基因的DNA结构，解剖结构以及各种蝙蝠物种的回声定位调用（声纳信号）的结构来解决BAT关系的问题。 这些研究的目的是确定可用于评估历史关系的相似性和差异。 这项研究中收集的数据将用于各种计算机辅助分析，旨在产生微脊柱蝙蝠家族之间和内部之间可检验的关系的假设。 还将研究微脊柱蝙蝠与其他哺乳动物谱系的关系。 这项研究将为理解蝙蝠的结构设计，行为和生态提供新的框架。