Phylogeny of Molossidae Gervais, 1855 (Mammalia: Chiroptera)

Author(s)

Renato Gregorin

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Biociências (IBIOC/SB)
• Defense date: 2000-12-20

Examining board members

Mario de Vivo; Eliana do Amaral Gimenez; Adriano Lucio Peracchi; Valdir Antonio Taddei; Hussam El Dine Zaher

• Advisor: Mario de Vivo

Abstract

The goal of this study is a systematic review of the family Molossidae Gervais, 1955 (Mammalia: Chiroptera) employing cladistic methodology on morphological characters. As main questions, this work proposes to solve the phylogenetic relationships among species group, to recognize and to define the valid genera, and to elaborate a classification for the family. The study also furnishes data about some fossils species position and biogeographical issues. I analyzed 1242 specimens representing 83 recent and pre-quaternary fossils molossid species (approximately 90% of all valid taxa). I used Antrozous (Antrozoidae) and Lasiurus (Vespertilionidae) for an initial comparison and to a broader morphological study, I analyzed others genera, such as Myotis (Vespertilionidae), Natalus (Natalidae), Thryroptera (Thyropteridae), and Peropteryx, Diclidurus, and Saccopteryx (Emballonuridae). The 109 characters studied to propose the relationships and to define the genera include the following morphological complexes: tongue, dentition, skull, post-cranial skeleton, and external morphology. Eventually, I used penis morphology and karyological data compiled from literature to complement the genera diagnosis and indicate relationships among them. I employed the parsimony global procedure to assess the relationships using the Hennig86 and PAUP computational programs to the calculate. Suprageneric clades were recognized based on branching patterns resulted on strict consensus tree attempting keep the mostly the current names in favor of nomenclatural stability. The classification arrangement follows a mix scheme. I elaborated several analysis considering the same 109 characters set, including 1) the ordering and non-ordering options to that multi-state coded characters, 2) using equal, successive, and reverse weighting schemes, and 3) a bootstraping analysis to verify the frequencies of occurrence of the branches. All of these analysis provided clues to compare the several manners to distribute the characters considering the several procedures in cladistic methodology. I have based the optimization procedure, definition of the genera, and the classification proposed on equal weighting scheme and considering the ordered multi- state characters. I included the fossils in a separated analysis considering all species as terminal taxa together the recent ones. The results of this study indicate that the family Molossid is composed by two subfamilies: Tomopeatinae (a monotypic group composed Tomopects), and Molossinae (encompassing 16 genera). Two tribes compose Molossinae: Molossina including two subtribes; IV (Molossina and Mormopterina), and Tadaridini with three (Tadarina, Austronomina, and Mopsina). The first one is composed by nine genera, and four subgenera: Platymops (including Sauromys), Mormopterus (with the subgenera Micronomus and the type one), Cabreramops, Molossops (with subgenera Neoplatymops and the type one), Cbeiromeles, Myopterus, Cynomops, Promops, and Molossus. Austronomus, Tadarida, Nyctinomops, Mops, Chaerephon, Eumops, and Otomops compose the tribe Tadaridini. The genera Tadarida and Molossops [sensu lato) are not monophyletic groups; Mops and Chaerephon appeared far from Tadarida and both do not present distinctive characteristics, and thus, I considered both as synonymous. Cheiromeles is a derived genus, and Molossus and Promops are not phylognetically closed with Eumops. The phylogenetic relationships among the genera of Molossidae are: ((Tomopeas) ((Mormopterus + Platymops) (Cabreramops (Molossops ((Cheiromeles + Myopterus) (Cynomops (Molossus + Promops))))))) (Tadarida + Austronomus + ((Otomops + Eumops) (Nyctmomops + Mops))))). (AU)