The family Vespertilionidae contains about 376 species of small, primarily insectivorous, bats with a worldwide distribution. Unfortunately, our understanding of the evolutionary relationships within this family of bats is seriously lacking. Given that vespertilionids comprise approximately 34% of all bat species and about 8% of all species of mammals, this paucity of knnowledge is surprising. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to elucidate the phylogenetic and biogeographic relationships of vespertilionid bats through the generation of DNA sequence data from 7 nuclear genes. These newly generated data will be combined with mitochondrial DNA sequences previously generated for these same taxa. Data from all 8 loci will be analyzed using a variety of phylogenetic methods.
Over the last decade, viruses responsible for 3 diseases potentially deadly to humans (Hendra, Nipah, and SARS) have been traced to bats. Although the viral component is not part of this project, it is obvious that if virologists and epidemiologists are to understand the evolution of viruses carried by bats, it is paramount to have a clear understanding of the taxonomy and evolutionary relationships of bats they are sampling. Thus, elucidating the evolutionary relationships and taxonomy of vespertilionid bats is not only critical to our understanding of the adaptive radiation of this remarkably successful group, but also to the field of virology and potential human health issues.
We generated DNA sequence data from 6 nuclear genes and three linked mitochondrial loci for greater than 150 vespertilionid bats and then subjected these data to a suite of phylogenetic analyses to better understand the evolutionary relationships of vespertilionid bats. In addition to describing a new family of bat (Cistugidae) our analyses provided resolution to the evolutionary history of many taxa and highlighted areas of importance for future study. Moreover, through comparative phylogenetic analyses, we describe the increased diversification rate of vespertilionid bats relative to New World leaf-nosed bats. Because bats are reservoirs to a number of human diseases (Ebola, Nepha, rabies, etc.) it is critical to have a better understanding of their evolutionary relationships. Without a clear understanding of sister-group relationships of bats, it becomes virtually impossible to elucidate the evolutionary history of the viruses they carry. Results of our study have provided helpful insight for individuals that are studying the different strains of rabies carried by bats. This funding has directly helped to support three graduate students and 5 undergraduate students (one a Native American female). Due to the research experience these undergraduate students have gained by working on this project, 3 of the five undergraduate students have abandoned their initial plans to go to medical school and all three are destined to obtain Ph.D. degree and conduct research. Additionally, the PI has presented general talks on various apsects of bats and their evolution at other universities as well as to a group of 6 - 12 year old school children, their parents, and grandparents.
