Comparative biomechanics of plant-visiting bats gives potential evidence of convergent evolution
Abstract
Plant-visiting bats of the pteropodid and phyllostomid families have been previously studied in terms of their morphology and biomechanics. These studies often found that despite converging in diet, the form of the bats’ skulls remained distinct based on family. The comparative biomechanics of plant-visiting bats remains understudied, and many comparative studies lack outgroups. It is possible that these bats show evidence of convergent evolution that has not been previously recorded. We aim to improve our understanding of bat evolution by comparing a larger set of plant-visiting bat species with FE modeling. We modeled 8 genera of plant-visting phyllostomid, 8 genera of pteropodids, and 3 nonplant-visiting genera of phyllostomid, vespertilionid, and rhinolophoid bats. The skulls of each bat genus were analyzed under a bilateral canine bite and a unilateral molar bite. These models were used to find bite force, mechanical advantage, muscle leverage, and strain data. Muscle forces were scaled based on model volume and scaled at a different proportion in pteropodids. A geometric morphometric PCA was also conducted using the same set. We found that the difference in mechanical advantage from a bilateral canine bite versus a unilateral molar bite were not indicative of the whole pteropodid or phyllostomid families. The average strain of pteropodid and phyllostomid skulls under each bite force overlapped as well as in rhinolophoids. Verspertilionid bat skulls showed comparatively less strain under the same constraints. These findings may be evidence for convergent evolution in plant-visiting bats. In spite of their differences in skull morphology, they undergo similar amounts of strain and produce similar amounts of mechanical advantage. However, the results may instead suggest that frugivory does not have a strong selective pressure and that the similarities are not due to convergence. The low strain of the vespertilionid skulls, however, suggests a derived trait in strain reduction.
Start Time
15-4-2026 11:00 AM
End Time
15-4-2026 12:00 PM
Room Number
311
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Presentation Subtype
Grad/Comp Orals
Presentation Category
Science, Technology, and Engineering
Student Type
Graduate
Faculty Mentor
Justin Ledogar
Comparative biomechanics of plant-visiting bats gives potential evidence of convergent evolution
311
Plant-visiting bats of the pteropodid and phyllostomid families have been previously studied in terms of their morphology and biomechanics. These studies often found that despite converging in diet, the form of the bats’ skulls remained distinct based on family. The comparative biomechanics of plant-visiting bats remains understudied, and many comparative studies lack outgroups. It is possible that these bats show evidence of convergent evolution that has not been previously recorded. We aim to improve our understanding of bat evolution by comparing a larger set of plant-visiting bat species with FE modeling. We modeled 8 genera of plant-visting phyllostomid, 8 genera of pteropodids, and 3 nonplant-visiting genera of phyllostomid, vespertilionid, and rhinolophoid bats. The skulls of each bat genus were analyzed under a bilateral canine bite and a unilateral molar bite. These models were used to find bite force, mechanical advantage, muscle leverage, and strain data. Muscle forces were scaled based on model volume and scaled at a different proportion in pteropodids. A geometric morphometric PCA was also conducted using the same set. We found that the difference in mechanical advantage from a bilateral canine bite versus a unilateral molar bite were not indicative of the whole pteropodid or phyllostomid families. The average strain of pteropodid and phyllostomid skulls under each bite force overlapped as well as in rhinolophoids. Verspertilionid bat skulls showed comparatively less strain under the same constraints. These findings may be evidence for convergent evolution in plant-visiting bats. In spite of their differences in skull morphology, they undergo similar amounts of strain and produce similar amounts of mechanical advantage. However, the results may instead suggest that frugivory does not have a strong selective pressure and that the similarities are not due to convergence. The low strain of the vespertilionid skulls, however, suggests a derived trait in strain reduction.
