A phylogenetic analysis using multidirectional chromosome painting of three species (Uroderma magnirostrum, U. bilobatum and Artibeus obscurus) of subfamily Stenodermatinae (Chiroptera-Phyllostomidae).

The species of genera Uroderma and Artibeus are medium-sized bats belonging to the family Phyllostomidae and subfamily Stenodermatinae (Mammalia, Chiroptera) from South America. They have a wide distribution in the Neotropical region, with two currently recognized species in Uroderma and approximately 20 species in Artibeus. These two genera have different rates of chromosome evolution, with Artibeus probably having retained the ancestral karyotype for the subfamily. We used whole chromosome paint probe sets from Carollia brevicauda and Phyllostomus hastatus on Uroderma magnirostrum, Uroderma bilobatum, and Artibeus obscurus. With the aim of testing the previous phylogenies of these bats using cytogenetics, we compared these results with published painting maps on Phyllostomidae. The genome-wide comparative maps based on chromosome painting and chromosome banding reveal the chromosome forms that characterize each taxonomic level within the Phyllostomidae and show the chromosome evolution of this family. Based on this, we are able to suggest an ancestral karyotype for Phyllostomidae. Our cladistic analysis is an independent confirmation using multidirectional chromosome painting of the previous Phyllostomidae phylogenies.

Chromosomal homologies among vampire bats revealed by chromosome painting (phyllostomidae, chiroptera).

Substantial effort has been made to elucidate karyotypic evolution of phyllostomid bats, mostly through comparisons of G-banding patterns. However, due to the limited number of G-bands in respective karyotypes and to the similarity of non-homologous bands, an accurate evolutionary history of chromosome segments remains questionable. This is the case for vampire bats (Desmodontinae). Despite several proposed homologies, banding data have not yet provided a detailed understanding of the chromosomal changes within vampire genera. We examined karyotype differentiation of the 3 species within this subfamily using whole chromosomal probes from Phyllostomus hastatus (Phyllostominae) and Carollia brevicauda (Carolliinae). Painting probes of P. hastatus respectively detected 22, 21 and 23 conserved segments in Diphylla ecaudata, Diaemus youngi, and Desmodus rotundus karyotypes, whereas 27, 27 and 28 were respectively detectedwith C. brevicauda paints. Based on the evolutionary relationships proposed by morphological and molecular data, we present probable chromosomal synapomorphies for vampire bats and propose chromosomes that were present in the common ancestor of the 5 genera analyzed. Karyotype comparisons allowed us to relate a number of conserved chromosomal segments among the 5 species, providing a broader database for understanding karyotype evolution in the family.