STRUCTURE OF NOSELEAF, ECHOLOCATION, AND FORAGING BEHAVIOR IN THE PHYLLOSTOMIDAE (CHIROPTERA)

To explore the possibility that facial morphology, echolocation, and f oraging behavior are related in some species of bats, intraspecific an d interspecific differences in morphology of noseleaves were quantifie d by univariate and multivariate methods for 248 specimens representin g 32 species in three subfamilies of Phyllostomidae (Phyllostominae, S tenodermatinae, and Glossophaginae). The species showed a range of die ts from mainly animals (Phyllostominae) to fruit (Stenodermatinae), an d nectar and pollen (Glossophaginae), with the animal-eating species p resumed to depend more upon echolocation to detect, locate, and assess prey than frugivorous or nectarivorous species. The canonical-variate analysis revealed significant differences in morphology of noseleaves among the three subfamilies, with three features (greatest length of nose leaf, length of spear, and length of horseshoe) showing the best discriminating power, Stenodermatines were characterized by the most-h omogeneous, intraspecific structure of noseleaves glossophagines by th e lowest interspecific variability, Phyllostomines showed the highest levels of variance and the most distinctive noseleaves. Euclidean dist ance values, calculated from measurements of morphology of noseleaf, w ere similar for most of the 17 species of phyllostomines suggesting th at morphology of noseleaf is related to foraging and orientation behav ior. The variety of structure of noseleaves in the Phyllostominae coin cides with variation in diet, but not with variety in echolocation cal ls. The connection between structure of noseleaf and echolocation call s remains unclear, like the role of echolocation in the lives of phyll ostomine bats.