Molecular and morphological data suggest a new species of big-eared bat (Vespertilionidae: Corynorhinus) endemic to northeastern Mexico.

ABSTRACT: Corynorhinus mexicanus is an insectivorous bat endemic to Mexico that inhabits the high and humid regions of the Sierra Madre Oriental (SMO), the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB), and the Sierra Madre Occidental (SMOC). A previous study suggested that C. mexicanus could be a cryptic species complex due to the genetic divergence observed between specimens from the TMVB and SMOC. The present study implemented phylogenetic, population genetics, and morphological analyses to evaluate the hypothesis that C. mexicanus is a species complex. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that C. mexicanus is a polyphyletic species composed of three indirectly related lineages. The estimated divergence times for the lineages suggest that they first originated during the Pliocene, while the second and third

SUBMITTER: Lopez-Cuamatzi IL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10881012 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature