Description of the Wrist and Metacarpals of Noctilio leporinus (Noctilionidae, Chiroptera)

GAUDIOSO PABLO; BARQUEZ R.M.; DIAZ, M MONICA

monterey CALIFORNIA

Congreso; 45th annual Symposium on Bat Research; 2015

NASBR

In the postcranial skeleton of bats, the zeudopodium and autopodium have the greatest anatomic modification, mainly in the region of the wrist and proximal tips of the metacarpals, but this was not, however, described in detail. The aims of this research were: 1) to describe the wrist and proximal epiphyses of the metacarpals of Noctilio leporinus (Noctilionidae), 2) to make comparisons with other species of similar body size but belonging to other families: Chrotopterus auritus (Phyllostomidae), Lasiurus cinereus (Vespertilionidae), and Eumops perotis (Molossidae), based on specimens deposited at the CML (Colección Mamíferos Lillo, Argentina). Direct observations were made with a binocular microscope Leica WILD M3Z and the photos were taken with a binocular microscope Leica MZ. Nomenclature follows Vaughan (1959, 1970) and Panyutina et al. (2015), with some modifications. Noctilio leporinus have a set of unique characters such as: radius-scaphocentralolunatum articulation laterally shifted, scaphocentralolunatum with an articular radius-scaphocentralolunatum fovea placed on the latero-distal region, scaphocentralolunatum tunnel developed, and articulation between McII and III. Similarities with C. auritus (e.g. distal epiphyses of radius with lateral styloids and medial pseudostyloids little developed, scaphocentralolunatum tunnel present), and significant differences with L. cinereus and E. perotis (e.g. radius- scaphocentralolunatum articulation centered, scaphocentralolunatum tunnel absent, articulation between Mc II and III without process and articular fossa) were observed. The results give new evidence for future eco-morphological, phylogenetic, and evolutionary studies.