Zoogeographical regions and geospatial patterns of phylogenetic diversity and endemism of New World bats

Abstract

The analysis of regional scale patterns of diversity allows insights into the processes that have shaped modern biodiversity at the macro‐scale. Previous analyses studying biogeographic regionalisation across different high‐level taxa have shown similar trends at a global scale. However, incorporating phylogenetic methods when comparing biogeographic regionalisation between subgroups facilitates identification of mechanisms leading to the biogeographic distribution of specific taxa. We analysed the spatial trends of phylogenetic diversity and phylogenetic endemism of 325 species of New World bats, using updated range maps of the modern distributions. These analyses showed phylogeographic signals that reflect the different evolutionary histories of these families. Zoogeographical zones were detected based on range‐weighted phylogenetic turnover. Values of high phylogenetic diversity and endemism were distributed differently across families, suggesting niche conservatism, but a general latitudinal trend of diversity was evident across taxa. Overall, two main bioregions were shared across New World bat taxa (Nearctic and Neotropical), with two additional subregions (Andean and La Platan). We found strong support for an additional transitional zone in the Pacific coast of South America for Emballonuridae and Molossidae. Differences in regionalisation across families indicate that niche conservatism, in situ diversification and dispersal ability are major drivers for the regionalisation of New World bats, within a dual‐centre of diversification scenario. We also found strong inter‐familial support for an independent Caribbean biogeographic region.

Beta diversity patterns of bats in the Atlantic Forest: How does the scale of analysis affect the importance of spatial and environmental factors?

“…It is currently classified into 10 distinct ecoregions (biogeographical zones) (Olson et al, 2001), which were delimited concerning both resident taxa and geo-climatic data. Because species respond to environmental and spatial gradients, the ecoregions should present a correlation between beta diversity components, and geographical and environmental factors (Dos Anjos et al, 2018;López-Aguirre et al, 2019;Stevens, 2013).…”

“…A possible explanation for this controversy could be the analysis scale. For instance, studies that looked at bat diversity in a larger scale, such as the neotropical region, showed that spatial pattern was the most influential factor for explaining differences in bat diversity (López-Aguirre, Suzanne, Laffan, & Archer, 2019;Varzinczak et al, 2018). On the other hand, smaller-scale studies, covering a single biome, demonstrated that climate was the most influential factor for explaining bat species diversity (López-González et al, 2015;Stevens, 2013;Stevens et al, 2007).…”

Interplay of diet and sympatry in the morphological evolution of noctilionoid bats

“…To quantify geographical distribution patterns, species-level range maps were retrieved from the IUCN data repository and projected into an equal-area Mollweide projection. IUCN range maps were used as they have been shown to accurately capture macroecological patterns, similar to those found using other estimates of species' distributions (López-Aguirre et al, 2019). Distribution maps were then transformed into presence/absence records, after intersecting all 108 range maps with a grid of 100 × 100 km cells, producing a final presence/absence matrix for 108 species and 1678 cells.…”

Centers of Endemism and The Potential of Zoos and Botanical Gardens in Conservation of Endemics

“…If processes and conditions of dispersal are reduced because an archipelago such as the Hawaiian Islands is located far distant from mainland areas and other archipelagos, then the evolution of new taxa can help to optimize the nutrient cycling and resource use. As a result, the total number of taxa (S) on isolated islands often is relatively small compared with mainland areas of the same range size and similar ecological conditions, the number of endemics (E) is high, and the level of endemism (E/S) is extremely high [164][165][166].…”