Phylogenetic relationships of vespertilionid genera (Mammalia: Chiroptera) as revealed by karyological analysis

Banded karyotypes of 50 species belonging to 23 genera were analyzed. The diploid chromosome numbers ranged from 26 to 50. For karyotypic comparison we used a 44 chromosomes karyotype, consisting of 4 metacentric and 17 acrocentric autosomes, as “basic karyotype”. Almost all of its 25 autosomal arms could be identified in each individual karyotype. In 8 chromosomes, i. e. 1/2, 7, 11, 12, 13, 15, 23 and X, small inversions were detected. As a result, each of the chromosomes mentioned occurs in two states which differ slightly in their banding patterns. These were used as character states in the cladistic analysis together with other chromosomal rearrangements.The implications drawn from the cladogram obtained are: The Miniopterinae clearly belong to the Vespertilionidae but are the first to branch off from the common stem. The tribe Myotini should be raised to the rank of a subfamily. Within the largest subfamily Vespertilioninae, one autapomorphic chromosomal character was found for each of the tribes Vespertilionini and Pipistrellini. In addition, both tribes are distinguished from the other Vespertilioninae tribes by two synapomorphic features. These results allow for the first time an unequivocal classification of the systematically difficult “pipistrelloid” species. The species of the genus Pipistrellus (sensu Hill and Harrison 1987) are spread over the Pipistrelllni and Vespertilionini. We therefore suggest the splitting of this heterogenous genus into at least four genera. Only the members of the previous subgenus Pipistrellus constitute the genus Pipistrellus and belong to the Pipistrellini. The previous subgenera Hypsugo, Vespadelus and Falsistrellus, given generic rank in some recent studies, belong to the tribe Vespertilionini and are not closely related to Pipistrellus. For the genera Eptesicus and Hesperoptenus, which belong neither to the Vespertilionini nor to the Pipistrellini, the tribe Eptesicini was established. The phylogenetic relations of this tribe and the status of the presumably polyphyletic tribe “Nycticeiini” could not be solved.