Restriction-Site Variation and Molecular Systematics of New World Leaf-Nosed Bats

(Uploaded by Plazi for the Bat Literature Project) Phylogeneticrelationshipsof the generacomposingthe Neotropicalbat family Phyllostomidaearepresentedbasedonrestriction-sitevariationfrom18 restrictionendonucleaseswithin the transcribedportionof the ribosomal-DNAgenecomplex.Restriction-sitevariationranged from conservativeor plesiomorphicin Macrotus and Desmodusto rapidly evolvingin the Choeronycterisgroup.However,no strong correlationwas observedamongthe magnitude and extent of variationwhen restriction-sitedata were comparedwith other data sets. It is concluded that in phyllostomid bats, punctuatedbouts of morphologic,karyotypic, and ribosomal-DNArestriction-siteevolutionhavedifferentunderlyingcauses.Majorsystematic conclusionsinclude:establishmentof the subfamilyVampyrinaeis supportedby restrictionsite data;recognitionof the subfamiliesMacrotinaeandMicronycterinaeis proposed;major reorganizationof the subfamilyPhyllostominaeis supportedby restriction-sitedata.