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The Divergence of Echolocation Frequency in Horseshoe Bats: Moth Hearing, Body Size or Habitat?

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Abstract

A phylogenetic approach was used to test three hypotheses regarding the evolution of diversity in the echolocation frequencies used by horseshoe bats (family Rhinolophidae, genus Rhinolophus): 1) Allotonic Frequency Hypothesis (high frequency echolocation in the Rhinolophidae resulted from coevolution with moth hearing); 2) Allometry Hypothesis (echolocation frequency is negatively scaled with body size and evolutionary changes in echolocation frequencies are correlated with changes in body size in the Rhinolophidae); and 3) Foraging Habitat Hypothesis (evolution of echolocation frequency is associated with changes in habitat type). Both discrete and continuous character sets were used for ancestral state reconstructions and for investigating patterns of evolution between frequency and body size, and frequency and habitat type. Contrary to the prediction of the Allotonic Frequency Hypothesis, echolocation frequency in the Rhinolophidae did not increase over time, which would be expected if moth hearing and bat echolocation frequency coevolved. The number of extant species that exhibit calls within moth hearing ranges was not significantly different from the number of species that echolocate outside of moth hearing range. There was also no correlation between changes in frequency and changes in habitat type as predicted by the Foraging Habitat Hypothesis. Instead, the evolution of echolocation frequency within the Rhinolophidae was correlated with changes in body size as predicted by the Allometry Hypothesis.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Iain J. Mackie for providing us with echolocation files and forearm length data for species from South East Asia. Daniel De Lemos Ribeiro, Geeta Eick, Pieter Malan, Ernest Seamark, Corrie Schoeman, and Maryalice Walker are thanked for their assistance in the field. We thank two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments. This research was funded by grants to DSJ from the National Research Foundation (GUN 2053611) and the University Research Committee of the University of Cape Town.

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  1. Animal Evolution & Systematics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa

    Samantha Stoffberg & David S. Jacobs

  2. Evolutionary Genomics Group, Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa

    Samantha Stoffberg & Conrad A. Matthee

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Stoffberg, S., Jacobs, D.S. & Matthee, C.A. The Divergence of Echolocation Frequency in Horseshoe Bats: Moth Hearing, Body Size or Habitat?. J Mammal Evol 18, 117–129 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10914-011-9158-x

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