| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication: | 1994 |
| Authors: | T. A. Griffiths |
| Journal: | Am. Mus. Novitates |
| Pagination: | 1-17 |
| Date Published: | 1994 |
| Keywords: | Africa, anatomy, Asia, Chiroptera, morphology, Nycteridae, Nycteris arge, Nycteris gambiensis, Nycteris grandis, Nycteris hispida, Nycteris macrotis, Nycteris thebaica, Nycteris tragata, phylogeny |
| Abstract: | The hyoid musculature and hyoid apparatus of bats of the family Nycteridae are described and compared with the hyoid morphology of other bat families described elsewhere. Four hyoid and four nonhyoid apomorphic character states are described within the family. All nycterids share the apomorphic hollowing of the rostrum into a basin, covered by a dermal vertical slit ornamented with the distinctive nycterid "noseleaf." All nycterids also possess a distinctive T-shaped terminal caudal vertebra. All nycterids except N. arge share a reduced ceratohyoid insertion and a reduced hypoglossus origin. All nycterids except N. tragata and N. arge share an epihyal that is reduced in length, a smaller lower second premolar, and a loss of the posterior tragus constriction. A cladistic analysis of the data suggests that the African hispida, macrotis, and thebaica groups form a clade. The Asian bats of the javanica group are a sister group to the hispida-macrotis-thebaica clade. Bats of the African arge group are the most basal lineage within the Nycteridae. This analysis supports separating the more primitive nycterids into an arge group and a javanica group rather than combining them in a single group. |