Phylogeny of plecotine bats (Chiroptera: “Vespertilionidae”): summary of the evidence and proposal of a logically consistent taxonomy

Abstract

Using standard phylogenetic techniques, 25 transformation series of morphological characters and 11 of karyological characters are evaluated in an attempt to recover the phylogenetic history of plecotine vespertilionid bats. Plecotini contains four genera in the topology (Euderma (Barbastella (Plecotus Corynorhinus))). The Plecotini of Hill and Harrison (1987), including Rhogeessa, Baeodon, Nycticeius, and Otonycteris, is rejected because this view is based solely on subjective evaluations of bacular overall similarity, and is clearly in disagreement with other lines of evidence from anatomy and karyology. Idionycteris is synonymized with Euderma because I. phyllotis and E. maculatum are sister species. Corynorhinus is removed from the synonymy of Plecotus. The relationships within Corynorhinus and Plecotus are not resolved.