In situ feeding tactics of short-nosed fruit bat (Cynopterus sphinx) on mango fruits: evidence of extractive foraging in a flying mammal

Singaravelan, Natarajan; Marimuthu, G.

doi:10.1007/s10164-007-0044-1

Cited by 10 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…The foraging ecology of these bats E. spelaea is known to feed on a wide range of plant species and their high visitation frequency to the inflorescence of a few keystone plant species such as Durio zibethinus and Parkia speciosa (Heideman and Utzurrum, ; Krutzsch, ). Both C. sphinx and R. leschnaulti have also been found to feed on the same tree (Singaravelan and Marimuthu, , ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of a Lineage D Betacoronavirus in Cave Nectar Bats (Eonycteris spelaea ) in Singapore and an Overview of Lineage D Reservoir Ecology in SE Asian Bats

Mendenhall

Borthwick

Neves

et al. 2016

Transbound Emerg Dis

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Coronaviruses are a diverse group of viruses that infect mammals and birds. Bats are reservoirs for several different coronaviruses in the Alphacoronavirus and Betacoronavirus genera. They also appear to be the natural reservoir for the ancestral viruses that generated the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus outbreaks. Here, we detected coronavirus sequences in next-generation sequence data created from Eonycteris spelaea faeces and urine. We also screened by PCR urine samples, faecal samples and rectal swabs collected from six species of bats in Singapore between 2011 and 2014, all of which were negative. The phylogenetic analysis indicates this novel strain is most closely related to lineage D Betacoronaviruses detected in a diverse range of bat species. This is the second time that coronaviruses have been detected in cave nectar bats, but the first coronavirus sequence data generated from this species. Bat species from which this group of coronaviruses has been detected are widely distributed across SE Asia, South Asia and Southern China. They overlap geographically, often share roosting sites and have been witnessed to forage on the same plant. The addition of sequence data from this group of viruses will allow us to better understand coronavirus evolution and host specificity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of a Lineage D Betacoronavirus in Cave Nectar Bats (Eonycteris spelaea ) in Singapore and an Overview of Lineage D Reservoir Ecology in SE Asian Bats

Mendenhall

Borthwick

Neves

et al. 2016

Transbound Emerg Dis

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“…Annona muricata ) as large fruits can contain numerous small seeds. Furthermore, large‐sized fruits can be broken into pieces or eaten without being detached from their support by some bats (Morrison, 1980; Singaravelan & Marimuthu, 2008). Carnivores sometimes drop large fruit to the ground to break them (Howe, 1986), while the dexterity of primates enables them to consume fruit larger than their gape (Peckre et al, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can body mass and skull morphology predict seed and fruit ingestion potential for mammal species? A test using extant species and its application to extinct species

et al. 2023

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Larger animals are assumed to ingest larger seeds and consume larger fruits, but empirical studies reveal inconsistent trends between body mass and the average size of fruits and seeds ingested. Furthermore, no studies have explored seed size relationships with morphological traits, such as skull dimensions. Such characteristics might provide more reliable estimates of ingestion ability and allow for accurate predictions of seed dispersal capacity in species for which we lack empirical data, especially extinct species. To determine whether (i) mammalian skull dimensions are better predictors of the maximum size of ingested seeds and fruits, compared to body mass and (ii) body mass are the better predictors of mean fruit and seed sizes, we studied these relationships across three mammalian orders: Chiroptera, Primates and Carnivora. We collected novel data on skull dimensions and collated available data on body mass and maximum and mean sizes of ingested fruits and seeds for mammals (N = 100) across the Neotropics, Asia, Africa and Madagascar. We explored the relationships between anatomical traits and fruit and seed sizes of extant species and made predictions for five extinct species. Our results revealed that body mass and skull dimensions are essential determinants of ingested fruit and seed size in mammals. The latter traits can generate predictions for extinct species, especially coronoid height and maximum jaw gape. Nevertheless, body mass predicted larger ingested fruits and seeds than skull dimensions and explained a greater part of the variance for both maximum and mean sizes in our dataset. Our results show how body mass and cranial anatomy constrain seed size and reinforce the importance of maintaining functional diversity in seed dispersers to maintain tropical forest structure. We also show that scientists can use morphological characteristics to predict the seed dispersal potential of extinct mammals allowing better inferences on past and future consequences of frugivore extinctions within tropical forests. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

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“…Nevertheless, these data suggest that the size of consumed fruits is less predictable than the size of seeds. Large-sized fruits can be broken into pieces or eaten without being detached from their support by some bats (Morrison 1980;Singaravelan & Marimuthu 2008). Carnivores sometimes drop large fruit to the ground to break it up (Howe 1986), while the dexterity of primates enables them to consume fruit larger than their gape (Peckreet al 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Body mass and skull dimensions predict seed dispersal capacity in bats, primates and carnivores from tropical forests

Sivault¹,

McConkey²,

Bretagnolle³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Endozoochory is an essential plant-animal interaction in tropical forests, involving the swallowing and defecation of seeds. To better understand whether anatomical traits (i.e. body mass and skull dimensions) are good predictors of seed dispersal in mammals we studied the relationships between morphology, fruit and seed size and seed dispersal distance across three orders: Chiroptera, Primates, and Carnivora. Our results revealed that body mass is an important driver of the size of ingested seeds for all orders and of the seed dispersal distance produced by Primates. In addition, the distance between the molars, jaw length, and jaw gape are good predictors of the size of ingested seeds. These results show how body mass and cranial anatomy constrain ingested seed size and dispersal distance across mammals and reinforce the importance of maintaining functional diversity in seed dispersers to maintain tropical forest structure and regeneration.

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In situ feeding tactics of short-nosed fruit bat (Cynopterus sphinx) on mango fruits: evidence of extractive foraging in a flying mammal

Cited by 10 publications

References 24 publications

Identification of a Lineage D Betacoronavirus in Cave Nectar Bats (Eonycteris spelaea ) in Singapore and an Overview of Lineage D Reservoir Ecology in SE Asian Bats

Identification of a Lineage D Betacoronavirus in Cave Nectar Bats (Eonycteris spelaea ) in Singapore and an Overview of Lineage D Reservoir Ecology in SE Asian Bats

Can body mass and skull morphology predict seed and fruit ingestion potential for mammal species? A test using extant species and its application to extinct species

Body mass and skull dimensions predict seed dispersal capacity in bats, primates and carnivores from tropical forests

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