SYSTEMATICS OF DOG-FACED BATS (CYNOMOPS) BASED ON MOLECULAR AND MORPHOMETRIC DATA

Abstract

Cynomops (dog-faced bat) generally is regarded as either a monophyletic genus or, in some cases, a subgenus of Molossops. Species limits and phylogenetic relationships within Cynomops, however, remain unresolved due primarily to subtle morphological differences and similarity in size of the small taxa. We used a combination of morphometric analyses for quantifying size variation and molecular data for reconstructing the evolutionary history within Cynomops. Rooting the tree with Eumops hansae produced a clade of Molossops neglectus and M. temminckii that was sister to a monophyletic Cynomops clade. The most parsimonious topology (in parenthetical notation) for Cynomops was (((paranus + planirostris) + (greenhalli + abrasus)) + mexicanus). Molecular analysis supports the autapomorphy of white venter as diagnostic for C. planirostris, although there was some overlap in size with the slightly larger, dark-venter C. paranus. Cynomops greenhalli was intermediate in size between C. paranus and C. mexicanus, but molecular analyses placed it as sister to the large-sized C. abrasus. The western Mexico endemic C. mexicanus, traditionally considered a subspecies of C. greenhalli, averaged larger in size than the other small Cynomops taxa and was the most basal lineage, requiring its designation as a distinct species.