PhD Program in Biology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York

Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior

Adrian Tejedor

Ph.D. Program in Biology City University of New York and
Graduate Fellow, American Museum of Natural History and City College
Email: tejedor@amnh.org

Advisor: Dr. Nancy B. Simmons, American Museum of Natural History

Research Interests:

• Evolutionary convergence (at the levels of community, clade, and species)
• Biogeography (historical and ecological)
• Patterns of biodiversity in the tropics
• Ecomorphology and functional morphology
• Groups (taxonomic and ecological) of interest: Bats, Butterflies, Epiphytes, Palms

Thesis topic:

For my doctoral thesis I plan to investigate the evolution of specialized foraging for arthropods (including specialization on a diet of spiders) within highly cluttered vegetation in kerivouline bats (Old World vespertilionids). My ultimate goal is to determine whether similar evolutionary patterns are present among New World nataloid bats (Natalidae, Thyropteridae and Furipteridae), which appear to show remarkable convergent evolution with the kerivoulines.

Both kerivoulines and nataloids, although only distantly related, show many conspicuous similarities apparently associated with foraging habits, namely: relatively large and funnel shaped ears, upward flexion of the skull, long narrow rostrum, brain case globose and elevated above plane of rostrum, wings with low aspect ratio, large interfemoral membranes, and very slow and highly maneuverable flight. Similarly, dietary studies indicate that at least one kerivouline bat [Kerivoula (Phoniscus) papuensis] feeds mainly on orb web spiders that the bat presumably plucks out of webs. Similarly, some nataloids feed largely on spiders. The echolocation calls of some nataloids and kerivoulines are very high in frequency and have very steep FM elements, presumably associated with an increased ability to discriminate prey from cluttered vegetation, and to detect narrow spaces among clutter through which the bats can fly. While almost all nataloids (excluding Myzopoda) are entirely restricted to the Neotropics, kerivoulines are distributed in the Old World with a center of diversity in Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo. Thus, it appears that both groups are filling a similar niche in these two tropical regions.

Current evidence suggests that the degree of specialization in foraging for spiders, ability to fly in cluttered vegetation, and the use of steep FM echolocation calls varies considerably among species of nataloids and kerivoulines. My objective, then, is to verify if these features are positively correlated, as it is assumed, and to analyze foraging adaptations in a phylogenetic context. This approach should show whether foraging specialization is associated with basal or derived species within each clade and thus would allow me to determine whether both groups have indeed evolved convergently.

By estimating the phylogenetic history of kerivoulines, I will also be able to speculate about the historical biogeography of the group, hoping to explain their patterns of distribution and specially their high diversity in Sundaland. Ultimately, with luck, my results may help shed light on the question of why are the wet tropics so diverse in species.

Publications:

Tejedor, A. and B. W. McAlpin (2000). Ophioglossum pendulum L. naturalized in Miami, Dade County, Florida. American Fern Journal. Jan. March 90(1): 46-47.

In preparation:

Tejedor A., Omnivory in the New World leaf-nosed bats Phyllostomus and Phylloderma.

Tejedor A., J. N. Holland, & T.H. Fleming, Are Sonoran desert bat communities trophically structured?

Tejedor A., & G. Silva-Taboada, A fossil funnel-eared bat (Chiroptera, Natalidae), found alive in Cuba.

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