Chiroblog

The systematic, or scientific classification of species, is to describe the species to be grouped based on different criteria such as morphology, Ecology, echolocation and also the molecular data. One route taken by the discipline, the cladistique (inherited the work of Willy Hennig), based on the idea that shared characters (said derivatives) by several species often comes from relatives. Years 80, with the discovery of polymerase and the invention of PCR, saw the emergence of molecular biology and genetic data to help solve the kinship of Chiroptera. Thus many complexescryptic species (= “hidden”) were revealed, especially in Europe. Globally, of new species are described each year, following revisions of museum collections, a thorough analysis on the ground and also through expeditions to unexplored regions. This job description is critical Species, particularly because of its implications in the field of conservation. With descriptions of new species, species considered common and distributed on a large scale are being separated into several species range decreased. These new species are often considered most vulnerable. The work then consists of biologists studying these species in detail on the ground to define priorities and strategies for conservation. This knowledge of the classification of species is all the more necessary as many threats to these animals. Fragmentation, alteration or destruction of habitats and the processclimate change, are two main factors of’extinction of species.

In 12 years, between the synthesis of Koopman (1993) and that of Simmons (2005), it is more 191 new species have been described for Science, with the counter that is increased from 925 to 1116 cash (Figure 1). To date, over 1232 species of bats are now counted (Simmons comm. pers.).

Figure 1: Evolution of species descriptions in the bat 1993 to 2010.

Yann & Meriadeg

References

Koopman, K. F. 1993. Order Chiroptera. Pp. 137-241 in Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder, eds. Mammal species of the world. A taxonomic and geographic reference, 2nd ed. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC.

Simmons, N. B. 2005. Order Chiroptera. Pp. 312-529 in Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder, eds. Mammal species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic reference, 3rd edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Washington.