Comparative Phylogeography Of Pteropus Samoensis And P. Tonganus (Pteropodidae: Chiroptera) In The South Pacific, Amy L. Russell, Veronica A. Brown, Ruth C. B. Utzurrum, Anne P. Brooke, Lisa A. Wolf, Gary F. Mccracken
Nov 2016
Comparative Phylogeography Of Pteropus Samoensis And P. Tonganus (Pteropodidae: Chiroptera) In The South Pacific, Amy L. Russell, Veronica A. Brown, Ruth C. B. Utzurrum, Anne P. Brooke, Lisa A. Wolf, Gary F. Mccracken
Amy L. Russell
Pteropids are large, highly mobile bats that are distributed widely across islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, southern Asia, and Australia. Dispersal behaviors and colonization patterns of pteropid species among oceanic islands are poorly known. In the southern Pacific, Pteropus samoensis and P. tonganus have partially overlapping ranges, existing in sympatry on the Samoan and Fijian archipelagos. These species exhibit differences in morphology and roosting behavior, with P. samoensis being smaller and tending to roost solitarily or in small groups. Here, we use genetic data to explore whether these species also exhibit differences with regard to patterns of population …
Range-Wide Genetic Analysis Of Little Brown Bat (Myotis Lucifugus) Populations: Estimating The Risk Of Spread Of White-Nose Syndrome, Maarten J. Vonhof, Amy L. Russell, Cassandra M. Miller-Butterworth
Jul 2015
Range-Wide Genetic Analysis Of Little Brown Bat (Myotis Lucifugus) Populations: Estimating The Risk Of Spread Of White-Nose Syndrome, Maarten J. Vonhof, Amy L. Russell, Cassandra M. Miller-Butterworth
Amy L. Russell
The little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) is one of the most widespread bat species in North America and is experiencing severe population declines because of an emerging fungal disease, white-nose syndrome (WNS). To manage and conserve this species effectively it is important to understand patterns of gene flow and population connectivity to identify possible barriers to disease transmission. However, little is known about the population genetic structure of little brown bats, and to date, no studies have investigated population structure across their entire range. We examined mitochondrial DNA and nuclear microsatellites in 637 little brown bats (including all currently recognized …
Two Tickets To Paradise: Multiple Dispersal Events In The Founding Of Hoary Bat Populations In Hawai'i, Amy L. Russell, Corinna A. Pinzari, Maarten J. Vonhof, Kevin J. Olival, Frank J. Bonaccorso
Jun 2015
Two Tickets To Paradise: Multiple Dispersal Events In The Founding Of Hoary Bat Populations In Hawai'i, Amy L. Russell, Corinna A. Pinzari, Maarten J. Vonhof, Kevin J. Olival, Frank J. Bonaccorso
Amy L. Russell
The Hawaiian islands are an extremely isolated oceanic archipelago, and their fauna has long served as models of dispersal in island biogeography. While molecular data have recently been applied to investigate the timing and origin of dispersal events for several animal groups including birds, insects, and snails, these questions have been largely unaddressed in Hawaii'i's only native terrestrial mammal, the Hawaiian hoary bat, Lasiurus cinereus semotus. Here, we use molecular data to test the hypotheses that (1) Hawaiian L. c. semotus originated via dispersal from North American populations of L. c. cinereus rather than from South American L. c. villosissimus, …
Genetic Approaches To The Conservation Of Migratory Bats: A Study Of The Eastern Red Bat (Lasiurus Borealis), Maarten J. Vonhof, Amy L. Russell
Apr 2015
Genetic Approaches To The Conservation Of Migratory Bats: A Study Of The Eastern Red Bat (Lasiurus Borealis), Maarten J. Vonhof, Amy L. Russell
Amy L. Russell
Documented fatalities of bats at wind turbines have raised serious concerns about the future impacts of increased wind power development on populations of migratory bat species. However, for most bat species we have no knowledge of the size of populations and their demographic trends, the degree of structuring into discrete subpopulations, and whether different subpopulations use spatially segregated migratory routes. Here, we utilize genetic data from eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis), one of the species most highly affected by wind power development in North America, to (1) evaluate patterns of population structure across the landscape, (2) estimate effective population size …
Optimizing Conservation Strategies For Mexican Free-Tailed Bats: A Population Viability And Ecosystem Services Approach, Ruscena Wiederholt, Laura López-Hoffman, Colleen Svancara, Gary Mccracken, Wayne Thogmartin, Jay E. Diffendorfer, Brady Mattson, Kenneth Bagstad, Paul Cryan, Amy L. Russell, Darius Semmens, Rodrigo A. Medellín
Dec 2014
Optimizing Conservation Strategies For Mexican Free-Tailed Bats: A Population Viability And Ecosystem Services Approach, Ruscena Wiederholt, Laura López-Hoffman, Colleen Svancara, Gary Mccracken, Wayne Thogmartin, Jay E. Diffendorfer, Brady Mattson, Kenneth Bagstad, Paul Cryan, Amy L. Russell, Darius Semmens, Rodrigo A. Medellín
Amy L. Russell
Conservation planning can be challenging due to the need to balance biological concerns about population viability with social concerns about the benefits biodiversity provide to society, often while operating under a limited budget. Methods and tools that help prioritize conservation actions are critical for the management of at-risk species. Here, we use a multi-attribute utility function to assess the optimal maternity roosts to conserve for maintaining the population viability and the ecosystem services of a single species, the Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana). Mexican free-tailed bats provide ecosystem services such as insect pest-suppression in agricultural areas and recreational viewing …
Genetic Structure Of Little Brown Bats (Myotis Lucifugus) Corresponds With Spread Of White-Nose Syndrome Among Hibernacula, Cassandra M. Miller-Butterworth, Maarten J. Vonhof, Joel Rosenstern, Greg G. Turner, Amy L. Russell
Feb 2014
Genetic Structure Of Little Brown Bats (Myotis Lucifugus) Corresponds With Spread Of White-Nose Syndrome Among Hibernacula, Cassandra M. Miller-Butterworth, Maarten J. Vonhof, Joel Rosenstern, Greg G. Turner, Amy L. Russell
Amy L. Russell
Until recently, the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) was one of the most common bat species in North America. However, this species currently faces a significant threat from the emerging fungal disease white-nose syndrome (WNS). The aims of this study were to examine the population genetic structure of M. lucifugus hibernating colonies in Pennsylvania (PA) and West Virginia (WV), and to determine whether that population structure may have influenced the pattern of spread of WNS. Samples were obtained from 198 individuals from both uninfected and recently infected colonies located at the crest of the disease front. Both mitochondrial (636 bp …
Multilocus Coalescent Analyses Reveal The Demographic History And Speciation Patterns Of Mouse Lemur Sister Species, Christopher Blair, Kellie L. Heckman, Amy L. Russell, Anne D. Yoder
Feb 2014
Multilocus Coalescent Analyses Reveal The Demographic History And Speciation Patterns Of Mouse Lemur Sister Species, Christopher Blair, Kellie L. Heckman, Amy L. Russell, Anne D. Yoder
Amy L. Russell
Background: Debate continues as to whether allopatric speciation or peripatric speciation through a founder effect is the predominant force driving evolution in vertebrates. The mouse lemurs of Madagascar are a system in which evolution has generated a large number of species over a relatively recent time frame. Here, we examine speciation patterns in a pair of sister species of mouse lemur, Microcebus murinus and M. griseorufus. These two species have ranges that are disparately proportioned in size, with M. murinus showing a much more extensive range that marginally overlaps that of M. griseorufus. Given that these two species are sister …
Sex-Biased Dispersal Produces High Error Rates In Mitochondrial Distance-Based And Tree-Based Species Delimitation, Liliana M. Dávalos, Amy L. Russell
Dec 2013
Sex-Biased Dispersal Produces High Error Rates In Mitochondrial Distance-Based And Tree-Based Species Delimitation, Liliana M. Dávalos, Amy L. Russell
Amy L. Russell
Species delimitation using mitochondrial sequences aims to identify species as morphological expertise and biodiversity both decline. Species delimitation in animals relies completely or in part on 2 critera: genetic distance and reciprocal monophyly. Using coalescent simulations of populations experiencing continuous and interrupted gene flow we show that these commonly applied criteria incur both high false-positive and high false-negative error rates in species delimitation when dispersal is sex-biased, as it is in most mammals. The combination of distance- and topology-based critera will incur false-positive error rates well above 5% when ancestral effective population sizes are large and when population structure has …
Deglaciation Explains Bat Extinction In The Caribbean, Liliana M. Davalos, Amy L. Russell
Nov 2012
Deglaciation Explains Bat Extinction In The Caribbean, Liliana M. Davalos, Amy L. Russell
Amy L. Russell
Ecological factors such as changing climate on land and interspecific competition have been debated as possible causes of postglacial Caribbean extinction. These hypotheses, however, have not been tested against a null model of climate-driven postglacial area loss. Here, we use a new Quaternary mammal database and deep-sea bathymetry to estimate species–area relationships (SARs) at present and during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) for bats of the Caribbean, and to model species loss as a function of area loss from rising sea level. Island area was a significant predictor of species richness in the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and Lesser Antilles at …
Population Growth Of Mexican Free-Tailed Bats (Tadarida Brasiliensis Mexicana) Predates Human Agricultural Activity, Amy L. Russell, Murray P. Cox, Veronica A. Brown, Gary F. Mccracken
Mar 2011
Population Growth Of Mexican Free-Tailed Bats (Tadarida Brasiliensis Mexicana) Predates Human Agricultural Activity, Amy L. Russell, Murray P. Cox, Veronica A. Brown, Gary F. Mccracken
Amy L. Russell
Background: Human activities, such as agriculture, hunting, and habitat modification, exert a significant effect on native species. Although many species have suffered population declines, increased population fragmentation, or even extinction in connection with these human impacts, others seem to have benefitted from human modification of their habitat. Here we examine whether population growth in an insectivorous bat (Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana) can be attributed to the widespread expansion of agriculture in North America following European settlement. Colonies of T. b. mexicana are extremely large (~106 individuals) and, in the modern era, major agricultural insect pests form an important component of their …
Road-Killed Bats, Highway Design, And The Commuting Ecology Of Bats, Amy L. Russell, Calvin M. Butchkoski, Leslie Saidak, Gary F. Mccracken
Jun 2009
Road-Killed Bats, Highway Design, And The Commuting Ecology Of Bats, Amy L. Russell, Calvin M. Butchkoski, Leslie Saidak, Gary F. Mccracken
Amy L. Russell
During a Myotis sodalis telemetry project in Pennsylvania, USA, in 2000, road-killed M. lucifugus were recorded and a highway survey was initiated. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of mortality from road kills on this colony, verify which species were being killed in traffic and examine the influence of canopy height and structure on flight behavior. On 10 evenings between 15 May and 26 July 2001, bats were counted as they emerged from day roosts and crossed a heavily trafficked highway en route to foraging areas. A total of 26 442 bats were observed cross- ing …
Multiple Colonisations Of The Western Indian Ocean By Pteropus Fruit Bats (Megachiroptera: Pteropodidae): The Furthest Islands Were Colonised First, John O'Brien, Carol Mariani, Link Olson, Amy L. Russell, Ludovic Say, Anne D. Yoder, Tom J. Hayden
Dec 2008
Multiple Colonisations Of The Western Indian Ocean By Pteropus Fruit Bats (Megachiroptera: Pteropodidae): The Furthest Islands Were Colonised First, John O'Brien, Carol Mariani, Link Olson, Amy L. Russell, Ludovic Say, Anne D. Yoder, Tom J. Hayden
Amy L. Russell
We investigate the genetic relationships between purported island species of Pteropus fruit bat (Megachi- roptera) from the western Indian Ocean islands using mitochondrial DNA sequencing in order to infer the pattern of colonisation of this biogeographic region. Most significantly, our genetic data questions the current taxonomic assignment based on morphology of many of the island species and subspecies, sug- gesting instead that many of the western Indian Ocean islands harbour ‘races’ of P. giganteus from main- land India. Our results strongly argue against a single colonisation event from mainland Asia. Evidence is presented for three colonisation events; the first to …
Population Genetic Analysis Of Myzopoda (Chiroptera: Myzopodidae) In Madagascar, Amy L. Russell, Steven M. Goodman, Isabella Fiorentino, Anne D. Yoder
Dec 2007
Population Genetic Analysis Of Myzopoda (Chiroptera: Myzopodidae) In Madagascar, Amy L. Russell, Steven M. Goodman, Isabella Fiorentino, Anne D. Yoder
Amy L. Russell
The chiropteran family Myzopodidae is endemic to Madagascar and is characterized by several unique morphologies, such as sessile adhesive discs on the thumb and sole. A new species, Myzopoda schliemanni, was recently described from western Madagascar that is morphologically distinct and geographically disjunct from the eastern species, M. aurita, the only other member of this family. Geographic variation within Myzopoda has only recently been studied at the morphological level and has never been addressed at the genetic level. We used a combination of phylogenetic, coalescent, and population genetic analyses to characterize the speciation history of Myzopoda and to clarify current …
Coalescent Analyses Support Multiple Mainland-To-Island Dispersals In The Evolution Of Malagasy Triaenops Bats (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae), Amy L. Russell, Steven M. Goodman, Murray P. Cox
Dec 2007
Coalescent Analyses Support Multiple Mainland-To-Island Dispersals In The Evolution Of Malagasy Triaenops Bats (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae), Amy L. Russell, Steven M. Goodman, Murray P. Cox
Amy L. Russell
Aim We investigate the directionality of mainland-to-island dispersals, focusing on a case study of an African-Malagasy bat genus, Triaenops (Hipposideridae). Taxa include T. persicus from east Africa and three Triaenops species from Madagascar (T. auritus, T. furculus, and T. rufus). The evolution of this bat family considerably post-dated the tectonic division of Madagascar from Africa, excluding vicariance as a viable hypothesis. Therefore, we consider three biogeographical scenarios to explain these species’ current ranges: (A) a single dispersal from Africa to Madagascar with subsequent speciation of the Malagasy species; (B) multiple, unidirectional dispersals from Africa to Madagascar resulting in multiple, independent …
Working At The Interface Of Phylogenetics And Population Genetics: A Biogeographical Analysis Of Triaenops Spp. (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae, Amy L. Russell, J. Ranivo, E. P. Palkovacs, S. M. Goodman, A. D. Yoder
Dec 2006
Working At The Interface Of Phylogenetics And Population Genetics: A Biogeographical Analysis Of Triaenops Spp. (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae, Amy L. Russell, J. Ranivo, E. P. Palkovacs, S. M. Goodman, A. D. Yoder
Amy L. Russell
New applications of genetic data to questions of historical biogeography have revolutionized our understanding of how organisms have come to occupy their present distributions. Phylogenetic methods in combination with divergence time estimation can reveal biogeo- graphical centres of origin, differentiate between hypotheses of vicariance and dispersal, and reveal the directionality of dispersal events. Despite their power, however, phylo- genetic methods can sometimes yield patterns that are compatible with multiple, equally well-supported biogeographical hypotheses. In such cases, additional approaches must be integrated to differentiate among conflicting dispersal hypotheses. Here, we use a synthetic approach that draws upon the analytical strengths of …
A New Species Of Emballonura (Chiroptera: Emballonuridae) From The Dry Regions Of Madagascar, Steven M. Goodman, Scott G. Cardiff, Julie Ranivo, Amy L. Russell, Anne D. Yoder
Oct 2006
A New Species Of Emballonura (Chiroptera: Emballonuridae) From The Dry Regions Of Madagascar, Steven M. Goodman, Scott G. Cardiff, Julie Ranivo, Amy L. Russell, Anne D. Yoder
Amy L. Russell
We describe a new species of bat in the genus Emballonura (Chiroptera: Emballonuridae), E. tiavato, from the dry forest regions of Madagascar. This species is distinguished from the only other member of this genus found on the island, E. atrata, and extralimital species based on a variety of external and cranial characteristics. Details of the distribution, phylogeny, and natural history of the two species of Malagasy Emballonura are presented.
A Multidimensional Approach For Detecting Species Patterns In Malagasy Vertebrates, Anne D. Yoder, Link E. Olson, Carol Hanley, Kellie L. Heckman, Rodin Rasoloarison, Amy L. Russell, Julie Ranivo, Voahangy Soarimalala, K. Praveen Karanth, Achille P. Raselimanana, Steven M. Goodman
Apr 2005
A Multidimensional Approach For Detecting Species Patterns In Malagasy Vertebrates, Anne D. Yoder, Link E. Olson, Carol Hanley, Kellie L. Heckman, Rodin Rasoloarison, Amy L. Russell, Julie Ranivo, Voahangy Soarimalala, K. Praveen Karanth, Achille P. Raselimanana, Steven M. Goodman
Amy L. Russell
The biodiversity of Madagascar is extraordinarily distinctive, di- verse, and endangered. It is therefore urgent that steps be taken to document, describe, interpret, and protect this exceptional biota. As a collaborative group of field and laboratory biologists, we employ a suite of methodological and analytical tools to investigate the vertebrate portion of Madagascar’s fauna. Given that species are the fundamental unit of evolution, where micro- and macroevolutionary forces converge to generate biological diversity, a thorough understanding of species distribution and abundance is critical for understanding the evolutionary, ecological, and biogeographic forces that have shaped Malagasy vertebrate diversity. We illustrate the …
