Life Sciences Commons^™

Obituary: Thomas Henry Kunz (1938–2020), Allen Kurta, Winifred F. Frick, M. Brock Fenton, Polly Campbell, Gary F. Mccracken, Robert M. Timm, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Dr. Thomas Henry Kunz, an internationally recognized expert on the ecology and behavior of bats and Professor at Boston University, passed away on April 13, 2020 in Dedham, Massachusetts, at the age of 81 as the result of complications from COVID-19. “Tom,” to his many friends and colleagues, was born on June 11, 1938 in Independence, Missouri, to William H. and Edna F. (Dornfeld) Kunz. He married Margaret Louise Brown on December 27, 1962 in Faucett, Missouri, Margaret’s hometown. Two children were born to Margaret and Tom—Pamela Kunz (Jeffrey Kwan) and David Kunz (Nicole, née D’Angelo), and five grandchildren.

As …

Predictors Of Bat Species Richness Within The Islands Of The Caribbean Basin, Justin D. Hoffman, Gabrielle Kadlubar, Scott C. Pedersen, Roxanne J. Larsen, Peter A. Larsen, Carleton J. Phillips, Gary G. Kwiecinski, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Several mechanisms have been shown to influence species richness among island ecosystems, yet most studies limit their focus to a few predictor variables. The objective of this study is to investigate variation in Chiropteran richness across islands in the Caribbean Basin with an extensive set of predictor variables. Using recent faunal surveys, the most contemporary list of bat species per island was complied. Data were collected on 17 predictor variables, which summarized five general island characteristics including island area, isolation, habitat diversity, human impact, and climate. An information-theoretic approach was used by fitting alternative candidate models to determine which variable(s) …

Puncture-Resistance Of Gloves For Handling Bats, Patricia W. Freeman, Cliff A. Lemen

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

We quantified protection given by a variety of gloves against bat bites by using steel indenters to simulate teeth and measuring forces needed to puncture the gloves. Level of protection given by gloves was compared to expected bite forces and tooth sharpness of bats. Cotton, plastic-coated synthetic fabric, and proprietary materials advertised as puncture- and cut-resistant were easy to penetrate compared to leather gloves. Split leather gives the highest level of protection, but with reduced dexterity. These are best for handling larger bats (>40 g) or if higher safety is preferred. Deerskin gives reasonable protection without much loss in …

A Survey Of Bats In Northern Trinidad Late In The Rainy Season, Keith Geluso, Mary J. Harner, Cliff A. Lemen, Patricia W. Freeman

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Located off the northeastern coast of Venezuela, Trinidad is a small tropical island with a rich diversity of bats. Although 66 species have been documented, few inventories have pub¬lished information on community structure of bats in the diverse habitats of the island. Here we report on composition, abundance, and natural history of species captured primarily in the Northern Range at the end of the rainy season (late December–early January). We captured 789 individuals representing 30 species in six families, including 672 bats in nets at ground level and 117 associated with roosts. Our capture rates in ground-level mist nets were …

Macroevolution In Microchiroptera: Recoupling Morphology And Ecology With Phylogeny, Patricia W. Freeman

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

No family of mammals has undergone a greater adaptive radiation than phyllostomid bats. Phylogeny combined with eco-morphological considerations of trophic structures can help understand this adaptive radiation and the evolution of Microchiroptera. Microchiropteran bats are overwhelmingly insectivorous, and constraints within the morphospace of insectivory have produced a dynamic equilibrium in bat morphologies that has persisted for 60 million years. The ability to eat fruit may be the key synapomorphy that allowed phyllostomids to escape insectivore morphospace and diversify. Although many phyllostomids have changed greatly, others that have maintained insectivory have changed little, which is equally remarkable.

Intraisland And Interisland Variation In Antillean Populations Of Molossus Molossus (Mammalia: Molossidae), Hugh H. Genoways, Robert C. Dowler, Catherine H. Carter

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Significant levels of secondary sexual variation and expected levels of individual variation were demonstrated in all samples of Molossus molossus from Jamaica, Guadeloupe, and Trinidad examined with univariate analyses. Significant morphometric differences were demonstrated among samples of Molossus molossus that originated from geographically close localities on the same island. Using multivariate techniques, broader patterns of geographic variation were demonstrated among the Antillean populations of M. molossus.

A New Species Of Eptesicus From Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae), Hugh H. Genoways, Robert J. Baker

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

In the course of field studies on bats of the Antillean region, three specimens of the genus Eptesicus were obtained on the island of Guadeloupe in the Lesser Antilles. The nearest known populations of this genus are on Puerto Rico 500 kilometers to the west (E. fuscus wetmorei), on the northern coast of South America 850 kilometers to the southwest (E. fuscus miradorensis), and on Tobago 550 kilometers to the south (E. brasiliensis melanopterus). Study of the specimens from Guadeloupe reveals that they represent a distinct species that is most closely related to Eptesicus …

A New Vespertilionine Bat From The Barstovian Deposits Of Montana, John F. Sutton, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

During the 1972 field season, a small collection of micromammals was obtained from the Anceney Local Fauna located 13 miles west of Bozeman, Gallatin County, Montana. The fauna is Barstovian in age (Upper Miocene) and is preserved in an ash-filled channel deposit in the Madison Valley Formation (Dorr, 1956). A single partial jaw of a chiropteran was recovered along with numerous bones and teeth of other mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. The jaw is complete from incisors back to the level of the m2. Examination of the jaw and comparisons with Recent and fossil chiropterans has convinced us that it …