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A New Species of Horseshoe Bat (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) from Mount Namuli, Mozambique

Curran, Michael; Kopp, Mirjam; Ruedi, Manuel and Bayliss, Julian (2022) A New Species of Horseshoe Bat (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) from Mount Namuli, Mozambique. Acta Chiropterologica, 24 (1), pp. 19-40.

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Document available online at: https://bioone.org/journals/acta-chiropterologica/volume-24/issue-1/15081109ACC2022.24.1.002/A-New-Species-of-Horseshoe-Bat-Chiroptera--Rhinolophidae-from/10.3161/15081109ACC2022.24.1.002.full


Summary in the original language of the document

The ecology of the high-altitude mountains of northern Mozambique is understudied in comparison to surrounding countries. A series of biological surveys have focused on filling this data gap, with Mount Namuli in Zambezia Province one of the focal sites of these expeditions. A biological survey of Mount Namuli in 2009 resulted in the collection of five specimens of a horseshoe bat species (Rhinolophidae) that is here described as a new species from Mozambique. Morphologically, the new species is very similar to Rhinolophus maendeleo Kock, Csorba and Howell, 2000 of the adami-group, but lacks some key morphological characters of this group (large ears, narrow skull, long palate). Molecular reconstructions clearly suggest the new species belongs to the capensis-group, but no members of the adami-group were included in this analysis (due to lacking data). It is thus unclear whether this unexpected phylogenetic position reflects morphological convergences between members of the adami- and capensis-groups, or whether the morphology-based adami-group should be reconsidered. The new species and R. maendeleo share similar external and craniodental measurements, but can be distinguished based on a number of key characters. These include the presence of a bony bar forming the interorbital foramena, rostrum shape, ear length and highly differing bacular morphologies. It also differs from the genetically closely related R. denti Thomas, 1904, R. swinnyi Gough, 1908 (including two recently described cryptic species) and R. simulator Andersen, 1904 by non-overlapping external and cranial measurements. The new species echolocates at a mean peak frequency of 76.9 kHz and shows an affinity to forest habitats, which are highly threatened in the surrounding region. It joins other coastal and montane forest endemics in defining the bat fauna of south-eastern Africa.


EPrint Type:Journal paper
Keywords:Chiroptera, taxonomy, biodiversity conservation
Agrovoc keywords:
Language
Value
URI
English
Chiroptera
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1560
English
taxonomy
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7631
English
biodiversity conservation
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_33955
Subjects: Environmental aspects > Biodiversity and ecosystem services
Research affiliation: Switzerland > University of Basel
Kenya
UK > Other organizations United Kingdom
Switzerland > Other organizations Switzerland
ISSN:1508-1109
DOI:10.3161/15081109ACC2022.24.1.002
Deposited By: Curran, Dr. Michael
ID Code:53044
Deposited On:28 Mar 2024 12:37
Last Modified:28 Mar 2024 12:37
Document Language:English
Status:Published
Refereed:Peer-reviewed and accepted

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