The thermal niche of Neotropical nectar-feeding bats: Its evolution and application to predict responses to global warming.

ABSTRACT: The thermal niche of a species is one of the main determinants of its ecology and biogeography. In this study, we determined the thermal niche of 23 species of Neotropical nectar-feeding bats of the subfamily Glossophaginae (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae). We calculated their thermal niches using temperature data obtained from collection records, by generating a distribution curve of the maximum and minimum temperatures per locality, and using the inflection points of the temperature distributions to estimate the species optimal (STZ) and suboptimal (SRZ) zones of the thermal niche. Additionally, by mapping the values of the STZ and SRZ on a phylogeny of the group, we generated a hypothesis of the evolution of the thermal niches of this clade of nectar-feeding bats. Finally, we used the chara

SUBMITTER: Ortega-Garcia S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5587449 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature