Zoology Commons^™

Bat Research, Patricia W. Freeman

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

In our research, we capture bats with a net 50 to 200 feet long set up between poles. Usually we net over water to capture bats as they drink or forage. Sometimes we rig the net so it can be moved up and down like a sail between two secured lines or poles so we can sample what flies high among the trees. Netting helps us to discover where each species occurs in the state [of Nebraska], and we also can determine an individual's age, sex, reproductive condition, and diet.

Twenty-Five Years Of The Shadle Fellowship, Hugh H. Genoways, Patricia W. Freeman

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Over the past 25 years, Albert R. and Alma Shadle Fellowships have been awarded to 26 young mammalogists. Of the 26 Shadle Fellows, 20 are men and six are women. Twenty-five of the 26 Fellows remain active in science and are still members of the American Society of Mammalogists. Shadle Fellows have been selected from 15 academic institutions and 17 professors have served as academic advisors for awardees. Shadle Fellows have already made significant contributions to the American Society of Mammalogists and to their home institutions. Awardees have published an average of 3.2 scientific articles per year per Fellow since …

Eumops Perotis, Troy L. Best, W. Mark Kiser, Patricia W. Freeman

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Eumops perotis is the largest bat in the United States. The greater mastiff bat resembles other North American free-tailed bats, but is distinguished from other molossids by its large size and lack of long guard hairs on the rump (Barbour and Davis, 1969). E. perotis has the thinnest dentary of any Eumops (Freeman, 1981a).In the United States, E. perotis can be separated from E. underwoodi by its larger size (forearm is 73-83 mm in E. perotis and 65-77 mm in E. underwoodi), darker color, and lack of long guard hairs on the rump. The ears are longer (36-47 mm …

A Recent Record Of Mountain Lion In Nebraska, Hugh H. Genoways, Patricia W. Freeman

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

On the morning of November 10, 1991, a deer hunter in the Pine Ridge area of extreme northwestern Nebraska shot a young female mountain lion (Gertzen, 1991, Omaha World-Herald, November 15, Sunrise ed. p. 17sf; Henion, 1991, Omaha World-Herald, November 15, Metro ed. p. 17). Although mountain lions (Felis concolor) were part of the original mammalian fauna of Nebraska (Jones, 1949, J. Mammal. 30: 313; 1962, Bull Univ. Nebraska State Mus. 4: 87-100; 1964, Univ. Kansas Publ., Mus. Nat. Hist. 16: 1-356), the species has been considered to be extirpated from the state. The most recent record that …

Mammals Of The Mixedwood Plains Ecozone, Andrew Smith, Donald A. Smith

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Ontario and Quebec were totally covered with ice during the last glaciation. Deglaciation was followed by gradual post-glacial repopulation of these two provinces (and others) by mammals from source areas in the United States. Thus most range expansions were from south to north east of the Great Lakes.

The mammalian fauna of the Mixedwood Plains Ecozone has been steadily changing since deglaciation about 10 000 years ago. During this period a succession of species assemblages has moved through this ecozone as the climate warmed. Several of the larger mammal species known from this area became extinct during this period of …

Notes On Bats From Montserrat (Lesser Antilles) With Comments Concerning The Effects Of Hurricane Hugo, Scott C. Pedersen, Hugh H. Genoways, Patricia W. Freeman

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

From August 1993 to August 1994, bats were surveyed on Montserrat, Lesser Antilles. Four years after this small volcanic island was struck by Hurricane Hugo (1989), there remains a 20-fold decrease in bat populations as compared to levels before Hugo. After the hurricane, composition of the community shifted from smaller frugivorous species to one of more omnivorous and larger frugivorous species. With the addition of a new record for Sturnira thomasi, voucher specimens from Montserrat exist for ten species of Chiroptera: Noctilio leporinus, Monophyllus plethodon, Sturnira tkomasi, Chiroderma improvisum, Artibeus jamaicensis, Ardops nichollsi, Brachyphylla cavernarum, Natalus stramineus, Tadarida brasiliensis …

Molecular Systematics Of The Fruit Bat, Artibeus Jamaicensis: Origin Of An Unusual Island Population, Dorothy E. Pumo, Iksoo Kim, James Remsen, Carleton J. Phillips, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

DNA sequences from mitochondrial tRNA genes, the light strand replication site, and a region of the 12s rRNA gene were used to test the hypothesis that the unusual Antillean island subspecies, Artibeus jamaicensis schwartzi, was derived from a South American origin. Parsimony and bootstraping analyses allied the mitochondrial genome in these bats with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) isolated from Artibeus planirostris living in French Guiana rather than with mtDNA isolated from Artibeus jamaicensis from the Antilles or Mexico. Although the tRNA sequences differed slightly, the 12s rRNA sequences were identical in mtDNA isolated from A. j. schwartzi on St. Vincent …

Obituary: J. Knox Jones, Jr., 1929-1992, James S. Findley, Clyde Jones, Hugh H. Genoways, Elmer C. Birney, Robert J. Baker

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

J. Knox Jones, Jr., was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, March 16, 1929, the eldest of the three sons of Virginia Bowen Jones and James Knox Jones. Knox passed away at his home in Lubbock, Texas, on November 15, 1992, after a two-year battle with cancer.

A New Species Of The Genus Rhogeessa, With Comments On Geographic Distribution And Speciation In The Genus, Hugh H. Genoways, Robert J. Baker

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

A new species of Rhogeessa is described from southern Suriname. The new species is characterized by a karyotype that possesses a diploid number of 52 and a fundamental number of 52 and by its relatively large overall size compared to other South American Rhogeessa. Tenspecies are now recognized within the genus. Seven of these species, including the one described herein, are members of R. tumida complex. Two of these species--R. io and R. minutilla--also occur in South America and the remaining four species are confined to Mexico and Central America.

Tales That Teeth Tell, Patricia W. Freeman, Pauline R. Denham Illustrator

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Many of us enjoy walking in the woods or prairie and looking for interesting natural items or behavior. My oldest child now takes delight in spotting and finding things before I do. Often we find skulls, teeth, and bones of mammals and, I suspect, many other people do too given the fact that many of these items are brought into the Museum to be identified. With just a little explanation about what mammals eat and the effect of these foods on the shapes of teeth, an observant person can start to categorize several common mammals if they know what to …

Quantifying The Tooth-Food Interface With Finite-Element Analysis And Photoelasticity, Patricia W. Freeman, W. N. Weijs

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

We are interested in the tooth-food interface and the functioning of teeth. The cross-sectional shapes of canine teeth of bats can be triangular or polygonal. The vertices of the triangle or polygon represent edges that extend longitudinally from tip to cingulum. One of us proposed there should be differences in how cracks are propagated in the substance being penetrated based on the shape of the tooth. To test this idea we have used finite-element analysis to simulate the effect of an edged tooth versus a non-edged or circular tooth as it penetrated a substance. To see what actually happens we …

Water-Nymphs Of The Platte, Patricia W. Freeman, Keith Perkins

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Little known, but hauntingly beautiful and valuable to the environment as well, clams and mussels inhabit many Nebraska lakes and rivers. In the first survey of the entire Platte River, the authors found 11 species.

We surveyed mollusks (clams and snails) of the Platte River during the summers of 1990 and 1991. With the exception of the Big Bend reach of the river in Dawson, Buffalo, and Hall counties, no mussels were found in the river's main channel. But in backwaters, lakes and sand-pits along the river, we found 11 species of mussels at 49 different sites from east to …

Evolutionary Perspectives On Animalivory, Patricia W. Freeman

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Derived from insectivorous ancestors, microchiropteran bats have diversified into a remarkable array of feeding habits. Cranial and dental characteristics mirror this diversity. Insectivorous predators of hard-shelled prey have thicker jaws, well-developed cranial crests, fewer but larger teeth, longer canines and abbreviated M3s than species that take soft items. Carnivorous bats have more elongate skulls, larger brain volumes and larger pinnae, lengthened metastylar ridges, and larger protoconids compared to insectivores. Animalivorous species have large ectoloph areas compared to frugivorous and nectarivorous species, but animalivores and frugivores have large tooth areas relative to palatal area compared to nectarivores. Frugivores sacrifice ectoloph for …

Sorex Merriami In Nebraska, Patricia W. Freeman, Jay D. Druecker, Scott Tvrz

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

We report the capture of a second specimen of Merriam’s shrew (Sorex merriami) from the northwestern comer of Nebraska from dry grassland of sage and rabbitbrush. The first specimen, captured in 1965, is a more eastern record in what today is Sandhills prairie.

Preface To Biology Of The Heteromyidae, Hugh H. Genoways, James H. Brown

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

What is the family Heteromyidae? It is the group ofexclusively New World rodents that includes the kangaroo rats, pocket mice, and kangaroo mice ofthe desert, grasslands, and shrublands of western North America as well as the spiny and pouched rats of the subtropical shrublands and tropical deciduous and evergreen forests of North America, Central America, and northernmost South America. It is a large family, with six genera and 316 species.

"Taxonomy" From Biology Of The Heteroeromyidae, Daniel F. Williams, Hugh H. Genoways, Janet K. Braun

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Herein the taxonomy of the family is reviewed and diagnoses of Recent species and accounts of all currently recognized Recent species and subspecies are provided. The objective is to present a current taxonomy for the family rather than a systematic review. Unfortunately, there have been no comprehensive reviews for most genera for 80 years or more and the current taxonomy of many species clearly is unsatisfactory, as is the understanding of the relationships between most of the described fossil and Recent taxa.

Flat Water Mammals, Patricia W. Freeman, Russell A. Benedict

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Nebraska's diverse habitats are home for an equally diverse collection of mammals, some of which appear to be expanding their ranges as the habitat changes, especially along the Platte River Valley.

Mammals Of The Platte River Valley: Final Report, Patricia W. Freeman, Russell A. Benedict

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Nebraska is characterised as a critical juncture for distributional ranges of mammals from northern, southern, eastern, and plains faunal elements. As might be expected, ranges have not remained static since the benchmark survey done by Jones, 1964. We have evidence that 10 of about 80 species of mammals found in the Platte River Valley have expanded their ranges. Opossum, red bats, bog lemmings, white-footed mice, woodchucks and least weasels are further west in the state, and grasshopper mice are further east in the state. Elliot's short-tailed shrew, cotton rats and armadillos are further north in the state. We have the …

Canine Teeth Of Bats (Microchiroptera): Size, Shape And Role In Crack Propagation, Patricia W. Freeman

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Upper canines in microchiropteran bats show a variety of cross-sectional shapes. A consistent feature of all species studied here is that the tooth is edged and not simply round or oval. Prominent sharp edges are positioned in several directions but particularly antero-medially toward the incisors and posteriorly toward the premolars. These edges appear to direct the cracks made in food items to the incisors or to the premolars. A continuous cutting edge is apparent in the occlusal view of the palate running from tip of canine to the ectoloph of the molars. Size and shape analysis indicates that larger bats …

Notes From The Field: Bat Boxes, Patricia W. Freeman

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Recently, and for good reason, interest in bat houses has increased. But bats and bat houses are fundamentally different from birds and bird houses. Birds are active in the day, and bats are active at night. Unlike bird houses, where it is easy to see the birds and any problems that arise from the placement of the house, bat houses may be more sensitive to environmental conditions, and problems more difficult to diagnose. Probably most important for the success of a bat house is the daily temperature regime. The physical factors that affect temperature are the size of the house, …

Heteromys Gaumeri, Cheryl A. Schmidt, Mark D. Engstrom, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Heteromys gaumeri Allen and Chapman, 1897, Gaumer's Spiny Pocket Mouse.

Heteromys gaumeri Allen and Chapman, 1897:9. Type locality "Chichen-Itza, Yucatan, Mexico."

Prairie Paths, Mouse Highways And Night Time Traffic, Patricia W. Freeman, Cliff A. Lemen

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Not long ago we developed a convenient, inexpensive, non-harmful way to learn about the secret lives of small nocturnal mammals. The technique allows us to follow trails made by rodents and to find where they have foraged, what they have eaten, and where they have their burrows. This method involves the use of a fine, nontoxic powder that fluoresces under black light. After setting traps and capturing the animals alive, we gently dust them in the fluorescent powder. The powder, used to make fluorescent paint, comes in different colors. It is especially important that the powder is non-toxic because killing …

The Bats Of Fountain Cavern, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

First paragraph:

During May 1988, two species of bats--Brachyphylla cavernarum (Antillean cave bat) and Natalus stramineus (funnel-eared bat)--were captured at the opening of Fountain Cavern. Only Brachyphylla cavernarum was captured inside of the cave. The weather was extremely wet during our visit to Anguilla so our work in Fountain Cavern was limited by hazardous conditions. Nevertheless, we did make a thorough survey of the bats inside the cave. There is only one other species on Anguilla--Monophyllus redmani (Antillean long-tongued bat)--that might be expected to utilize Fountain Cavern as a roosting site.

Includes the author's recommendations about conservation for …

Caribbean Island Zoogeography: A New Approach Using Mitochondrial Dna To Study Neotropical Bats, Carleton J. Phillips, Dorothy E. Pumo, Hugh H. Genoways, Phillip E. Ray

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Genetic analysis of animal mitochondrial DNA is a new and valuable addition to the battery of techniques available to zoogeographers. This paper describes characteristics of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that make it applicable for the study of island zoogeography.

Some traditional zoogeographic questions are examined using mtDNA from the Neotropical fruit bat, Artibeus jamaicensis. The specific questions are: 1) To what extent are island populations isolated (that is, does interbreeding occur between the insular subspecies)? 2) Can a single founding female account for the mitochondrial genomes on specific islands in the Antilles? 3) Is there a correlation between the genomic …

Frugivorous And Animalivorous Bats (Microchiroptera): Dental And Cranial Adaptations, Patricia W. Freeman

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

The most derived fruit-eating bats have small canines, wide palates and molars with a distinctive labial rim. Paracone and metacone have moved from a dilambdodont position in the middle of the tooth to the labial side of the tooth where they form the labial cutting edge. Along with the well-developed and close fitting labial cutting edges of the premolars and canines, this cutting edge skirts nearly the entire perimeter of the palate. The labial rim of the lower teeth fit inside the labial rim of the upper teeth like two cookie cutters nesting one inside the other. Frugivores have a …

Lasiurus Blossevilli (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) In Texas, Hugh H. Genoways, Robert J. Baker

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

First paragraph:

A bat netted in the ZH Canyon in the Sierra Vieja Mountains, 9 mi. W Valentine, Presidio Co., Texas, appears to be the first record of the western red bat (Lasiurus blossevillii teliotis) from the state of Texas. The specimen is an adult female that was taken on the night of 15 July 1969 by T. R. Mollhagen. The vegetation in ZH Canyon is typical low desert scrub but permanent water is present. Nets were placed in such positions as to catch bats attempting to drink at this water source.

Genic Studies Of Lasiurus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae), Robert J. Baker, John C. Patton, Hugh H. Genoways, John W. Bickham

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Bats of the genus Lasiurus present a number of interesting systematic problems that are difficult to resolve by traditional techniques. Members of the genus share a suite of derived morphological (Hall and Jones, 1961; Handley , 1960) and karyotypic (Bickham 1979, 1988) characteristics. However, until 1960 (Handley, 1960), members were placed in two genera- Lasiurus and Dasypterus-based primarily upon the presence or absence of the small, first upper premolar. Handley (1960) analyzed the differences and similarities among these two genera and concluded they were not distinct even at a subgeneric level. One goal of this study was to provide …

Mitochondrial Dna Polymorphism In Three Antillean Island Populations Of The Fruit Bat, Artibeus Jamaicensis, Dorothy E. Pumo, Everett Z. Goldin, Beth Elliot, Carleton J. Phillips, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

The Neotropical fruit bat, Artibeus jamaicensis, occurs throughout Latin America and on many islands in the Caribbean. Populations from Jamaica (in the Greater Antilles) to Barbados (in the Lesser Antilles) have been classified as a subspecies (A. j. jamaicensisi separate from that on the Lesser Antillean island of St. Vincent (A. j. schwartzi). Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was isolated from 54 individuals collected on these islands, analyzed by digestion with restriction endonucleases, and the restriction sites were mapped. Three different mtDNA genotypes (16,000 ± 200 bp) were identified: J-1 (16 animals from Jamaica, one from St. Vincent, …

A New Subspecies Of The Free-Tailed Bat, Molossops Greenhalli, From Western Mexico (Mammalia: Chiroptera), J. Knox Jones Jr., Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

In June of 1964, field parties from the Museum of Natural History, the University of Kansas, collected two specimens of a unique free-tailed bat in Mexico, one in the state of Guerrero and the other in Oaxaca. These proved to be the first specimens of Molossops greenhalli taken outside of Trinidad and the first bats of the genus to be reported from north of Panama. Subsequently, Percy L. Clifton obtained, in the state of Jalisco, three more individuals of M. greenhalli, including the first male from the North American mainland.

Comparison with material from Trinidad indicates that the Mexican …

Karyotypic Analysis Of Five Rodents And A Marsupial From Belize, Central America, David W. Burton, John W. Bickham, Hugh H. Genoways, Timothy J. Mccarthy

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Karyotypes and chromosomal banding patterns of six species of small mammals from Belize are presented and discussed in light of relevant data in the literature. Individuals of Heteromys desmarestianus had FN values of 72, which differs from previous reports. G-bands were obtained and compared to fluorescent bands (DAPI) and with the location of NOR sites. The karyotypes of Peromyscus mexicanus, Sigmodon hispidus, Oryzomys couesi, and Ototylomys phyllotis are identical to the karyotypes for these species described in the literature. Active NORs were located on four pairs of chromosomes in O. phyllotis and fluorescent bands obtained with the …