The thermal niche of Neotropical nectar-feeding bats: Its evolution and application to predict responses to global warming


Por: Ortega-Garcia, Stephanie, Guevara, Lazaro, Arroyo-Cabrales, Joaquin, Lindig-Cisneros, Roberto, Martinez-Meyer, Enrique, Vega, Ernesto, Schondube, Jorge E.

Publicada: 1 sep 2017
Resumen:
The thermal niche of a species is one of the main determinants of its ecology and biogeography. In this study, we determined the thermal niche of 23 species of Neotropical nectar-feeding bats of the subfamily Glossophaginae (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae). We calculated their thermal niches using temperature data obtained from collection records, by generating a distribution curve of the maximum and minimum temperatures per locality, and using the inflection points of the temperature distributions to estimate the species optimal (STZ) and suboptimal (SRZ) zones of the thermal niche. Additionally, by mapping the values of the STZ and SRZ on a phylogeny of the group, we generated a hypothesis of the evolution of the thermal niches of this clade of nectar-feeding bats. Finally, we used the characteristics of their thermal niches to predict the responses of these organisms to climate change. We found a large variation in the width and limits of the thermal niches of nectar-feeding bats. Additionally, while the upper limits of the thermal niches varied little among species, their lower limits differ wildly. The ancestral reconstruction of the thermal niche indicated that this group of Neotropical bats evolved under cooler temperatures. The two clades inside the Glossophaginae differ in the evolution of their thermal niches, with most members of the clade Choeronycterines evolving colder thermal niches, while the majority of the species in the clade Glossophagines evolving warmer thermal niches. By comparing thermal niches with climate change models, we found that all species could be affected by an increase of 1 degrees C in temperature at the end of this century. This suggests that even nocturnal species could suffer important physiological costs from global warming. Our study highlights the value of scientific collections to obtain ecologically significant physiological data for a large number of species.

Filiaciones:
Ortega-Garcia, Stephanie:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Posgrad Ciencias Biol, Mexico City, DF, Mexico

 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Invest Ecosistemas & Sustentabilidad, Antigua Carretera Patzcuaro 8701, Morelia 58190, Michoacan, Mexico

Guevara, Lazaro:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Dept Biol Evolut, Fac Ciencias, Mexico City, DF, Mexico

Arroyo-Cabrales, Joaquin:
 Inst Nacl Antropol & Hist, Mexico City, DF, Mexico

Lindig-Cisneros, Roberto:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Invest Ecosistemas & Sustentabilidad, Antigua Carretera Patzcuaro 8701, Morelia 58190, Michoacan, Mexico

Martinez-Meyer, Enrique:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Biol, Dept Zool, Mexico City, DF, Mexico

Vega, Ernesto:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Invest Ecosistemas & Sustentabilidad, Antigua Carretera Patzcuaro 8701, Morelia 58190, Michoacan, Mexico

Schondube, Jorge E.:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Invest Ecosistemas & Sustentabilidad, Antigua Carretera Patzcuaro 8701, Morelia 58190, Michoacan, Mexico
ISSN: 20457758
Editorial
WILEY-BLACKWELL, 111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA, Estados Unidos America
Tipo de documento: Article
Volumen: 7 Número: 17
Páginas: 6691-6701
WOS Id: 000409529800006
ID de PubMed: 28904751

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