Degree Name
MS (Master of Science)
Program
Biology
Date of Award
5-2025
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Richard Carter
Committee Members
Justin Ledogar, Ryan Stephens
Abstract
Flight is the primary locomotion of bats, while quadrupedal locomotion is not often observed and is widely variable among bats. Frugivorous bats in Pteropodidae are more efficient climbers than frugivorous bats in Phyllostomidae and insectivorous bats in Vespertilionidae, while phyllostomids and vespertilionids are better at walking on horizontal surfaces. The aim of this study is to investigate whether bats with differing modes of nonflight locomotion also exhibit disparity in thoracolumbar vertebral morphology. Using geometric morphometrics, we compared the thoracolumbar vertebral shapes of these bat families with other terrestrial and arboreal mammals. The results revealed distinct vertebral shapes among bat families due to phylogeny. Compared to other mammals, bats have unique vertebrae, including thoracic vertebrae without spinous processes, elongated anapophyses on their diaphragmatic vertebrae, and reduced spinous and transverse processes on their lumbar vertebrae. These adaptations lead to a more rigid vertebral column associated with their behavior of flight.
Document Type
Thesis - embargo
Recommended Citation
Upham, Jessica, "Evaluating Quadrupedal Locomotion in Bats: A Geometric Morphometric Comparison of Vertebral Adaptations Across Mammals" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 4554. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/4554
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.