Meeting Abstract

71.3  Wednesday, Jan. 6  Wing folding in bats: Aspects of morphology and phylogenetic interpretation ARMOUR, Maria T.*; SIMMONS, Nancy B.; SCHUTT, WIlliam A. Jr.; Emerson College, Boston, MA; American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY; C.W. Post College of Long Island University, Brookville, NY m.t.armour@gmail.com

The bat forelimb is functionally unique among mammals because it enables powered flight in all currently recognized taxa (approximately 1,100 species and 18 families). There is considerable morphological variation in chiropteran wing structure, including the manner in which the wings can be folded. Previous research identified three distinct wing folding patterns among bats, and in this study we investigated this variation from ecomorphological and phylogenetic perspectives. Questions that were addressed included: 1) Does morphological variation at articulation points along the digits determine the folding pattern of the wing? 2) Are there correlations between wing shape and wing folding pattern? 3) How do these patterns map out on recent bat phylogenies? We examined wing folding patterns and morphological characters of the wing digits in 292 species representing 18 bat families. In a subset of twelve species, we studied digital osteology with the goal of identifying aspects of joint morphology involved in different wing folding patterns. Mapping the resulting data onto phylogenetic trees based on both morphology and DNA sequences showed that phylogeny has a significant influence on wing folding pattern, although some patterns have apparently evolved more than once. The relationship between wing shape indices (which have been used as ecomorphological indicators) and folding patterns was statistically significant, suggesting that certain wing shapes fold a specific way – possibly because of how the bats make their living. We also found that variation exists at the articulating surfaces of digits and that some features are related to specific wing folding patterns.