Meeting Abstract

10.8  Sunday, Jan. 4  Biomechanical and Functional Analysis of the Jaws of Vampire Bats (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) DAVIS, JS*; NICOLAY, CW; Ohio University; Univesity of North Carolina, Asheville jillian_davis.chiroptera@yahoo.com

The three species of vampire bats (Phyllostomidae: Desmodontinae) are the only mammals that subsist on a diet consisting almost exclusively of blood. Due to the demands of obtaining their unusual diet, these bats are characterized by a highly specialized cranial morphology. Among other unique characteristics is a protruding jaw which extends beyond the anterior tips of the extremely large upper central incisors. When the jaw is closed, the upper incisors project into bony pits in a mandibular shelf behind the lower incisors. In spite of these apparent dietary and morphological similarities, preliminary data, including linear measurements from osteological specimens, scanning electron microscopy, and microCT analysis, demonstrate differences in fusion of the two dentary bones at the mandibular symphysis. The symphyses of the common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus, and the white winged vampire bat, Diaemus youngi, remain unfused, whereas the hairy-legged vampire bat, Diphylla ecaudata, fuses its symphysis completely during development. Initial results suggest that Desmodus rotundus has a larger symphyseal area relative to its mandible than does Diphylla ecaudata. The volume and orientation of the mandibular pits are being quantified using high resolution microCT scanning to determine the relationship between fusion of the mandibular symphysis and the relative volume and orientation of the bony pits.