Evidence for repeated independent evolution of migration in the largest family of bats.

ABSTRACT:

Background

How migration evolved represents one of the most poignant questions in evolutionary biology. While studies on the evolution of migration in birds are well represented in the literature, migration in bats has received relatively little attention. Yet, more than 30 species of bats are known to migrate annually from breeding to non-breeding locations. Our study is the first to test hypotheses on the evolutionary history of migration in bats using a phylogenetic framework.

Methods and principal findings

In addition to providing a review of bat migration in relation to existing hypotheses on the evolution of migration in birds, we use a previously published supertree to formulate and test hypotheses on the evolutionary history of migration in bats. Our results suggest

SUBMITTER: Bisson IA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2759287 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature