The Straits of Gibraltar: barrier or bridge to Ibero-Moroccan bat diversity?

摘要: Genetic divergence in bat communities was assessed on both sides of the Straits Gibraltar and cryptic diversity examined. Screening carried out using partial sequences mitochondrial (mt)DNA cytochrome b gene 399 individual bats belonging to 18 species found Gibraltar. For those that showed important genetic discontinuities, molecular markers (ND1 nuclear RAG2 genes) were added expand sampling process. Phylogenetic reconstructions obtained maximum parsinomy, distances, likelihood, Bayesian criteria. As an estimate bats’ flight performance, we measured for each wing aspect ratio loading indexes, correlated them with pairwise distances between southern Iberian northern Moroccan populations. mtDNA populations continents exceed 5% seven analysed unknown lineages uncovered within complexes Myotis nattereri mystacinus. We did not find a general pattern degree permeability bats. ability cross Straits. Our study shows among continues increase as more regions are studied. © 2009 The Linnean Society London, Biological Journal Society, 2009, 96, 434–450. ADDITIONAL KEYWORDS: community – dispersal differentiation DNA ND1 phylogeography Pleistocene.