Geographic variation in the skulls of the horseshoe bats, Rhinolophus simulator and R. cf. simulator: Determining the relative contributions of adaptation and drift using geometric morphometrics.

ABSTRACT: The relative contributions of adaptation and genetic drift to morphological diversification of the skulls of echolocating mammals were investigated using two horseshoe bat species, Rhinolophus simulator and R. cf. simulator, as test cases. We used 3D geometric morphometrics to compare the shapes of skulls of the two lineages collected at various localities in southern Africa. Size and shape variation was predominantly attributed to selective forces; the between-population variance (B) was not proportional to the within-population variance (W). Modularity was evident in the crania of R. simulator but absent in the crania of R. cf. simulator and the mandibles of both species. The skulls of the two lineages thus appeared to be under different selectio

SUBMITTER: Mutumi GL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8601903 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature