Phylogenetic Relationships and Classifica.ti0n of the Higher Categories of the New World Bat Family Phyllostomidae

-A new classification of the higher taxonomic levels within the New World bat family Phyllostomidae is presented which designates evolutionary relationships, provides a phylogenetic framework upon which modifications can be made as new comparative data are produced, and resolves certain obvious unnatural taxa that exist in the traditional classification. This new classification is a synthesis of classical morphological, chromosomal, and biochemical data. Within the family three subfamilies, the Desmodontinae, Phyllostominae, and Vampyrinae are recognized. The Desmodontinae includes the three genera of vampires, the Vampyrinae includes Vampyrum, Trachops, and Chrotopterus, and the Phyllostominae contains three tribes, the Phyllostomini (including Phyllostomus, Tonatia, Mimon, Lonchorhina, and Macrophyllum), the Glossophagini (including genera of the previously recognized Glossophaginae and Brachyphyllinae), and Stenodermatini (including genera of the previously recognized Stenodermatinae and Carolliinae). Two genera (Macrotus and Micronycteris), do not share synapomorphies with any of these subfamilies, but have retained a large number of plesiomorphic features and are placed as incertae sedis. [Classification; phylogenetic reconstruction; Phyllostomidae.] "A classification, in contradistinction to natural in that it does not reflect phyloan identification scheme, functions as a bigenetic relationships as defined by synological theory (with all the explanatory, apomorphies (Hood and Smith, 1982; predictive, and heuristic properties of a Honeycutt and Sarich, 1987a). In addition, theory)" Mayr (1974:94). Such a theory four independent character sets including should reflect evolutionary relationships, chromosomes, protein electrophoresis, imand be of use for comparative biological munology, and morphology exist for this studies. Therefore, the first step toward defamily. These data and the resultant proveloping a biological classification is the posed phylogenies produced from each derivation of a phylogenetic hypothesis character set provide an opportunity to which reflects the evolutionary relationboth propose a new classification for the ships among the organisms to be classified. Phyllostomidae and evaluate taxonomic The object, then, of any classification is to congruence among multiple data sets. maximize congruence among independent Conflicts and compromises presented by character sets to the degree to which they multiple data sets are becoming important parallel phylogenetic patterns (Farris, 1971; as more systematic studies incorporate Mickevich and Johnson, 1976; Mickevich, characters as diverse as molecules and mor1978; Arnold et al., 1982; Hillis, 1987). phology (Hillis, 1987; Patterson, 1987). Our The New World leaf-nosed bat family study on phyllostomid bats provides a Phyllostomidae represents an ideal group practical example of problems and comupon which to apply the above concepts. promises encountered in developing an esThis family of mammals is taxonomically timate of phylogenetic relatedness when diverse and the current classification is unusing multiple character sets. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Present address: RLH Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College The New World leaf-nosed bats (family Station, Texas 77843. Phyllostomidae) includes about 46 genera 1989 PHYLLOSTOMID BAT CLASSIFICATION 229 TABLE1. Higher taxonomic classifications of phyllostomid bats.'. Miller (1907) Fam. Phyllostomidae chilonycterinae2 Phyllostomidae Glossophaginae ~ e m i d e r m i n a e ~ Sturnirinae stenoderminae4 Phyllonycterinae