Unveiling the Hidden Bat Diversity of a Neotropical Montane Forest.

摘要: Mountain environments, characterized by high levels of endemism, are at risk experiencing significant biodiversity loss due to current trends in global warming. While many acknowledge their importance and vulnerability, these ecosystems still remain poorly studied, particularly for taxa that difficult sample such as bats. Aiming estimate the amount cryptic diversity among bats a Neotropical montane cloud forest Talamanca Range-south-east Central America-, we performed 15-night sampling campaign, which resulted 90 captured belonging 8 species. We sequenced mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) screened inter- intraspecific genetic variation. Phylogenetic relations with conspecifics closely related species from other geographic regions were established using Maximum Likelihood Bayesian inference methods, well median-joining haplotype networks. Mitochondrial lineages highly divergent hitherto populations (> 9% COI dissimilarity) found Myotis oxyotus Hylonycteris underwoodi. Sturnira burtonlimi M. keaysi also showed distinct structure sibling and/or populations. These results suggest mountains region hold degree endemicity potential has previously been ignored They warn extinction may be facing climatic change, isolated mountain systems like Range.