A Global Review of Phylogeographic Studies on Bats

Phylogeography focuses on understanding the mechanisms that have led to the geographic distribution of genetic lineages within species, and studies of mammals have had an important role in its development. Bats are the second most diverse order of mammals; however, they are the subject of fewer phylogeographic studies than less diverse orders of mammals. Herein, we review the global state of phylogeographic bat research. Mitochondrial DNA loci are the most popular molecular markers, and the majority of studies describe geographic patterns of genetic variation. Many phylogeographic surveys were done in the Palearctic (mainly in the family Vespertilionidae), but more species have been studied in the Afrotropics and Neotropics (mainly in Pteropodidae and Phyllostomidae, respectively). Pleistocene climatic change is the main factor that has shaped the genetic diversity of species, but geographical and ecological factors are other important drivers of intraspecific differentiation. More intraspecific phylogeographic studies on bats are needed, but it is also necessary to develop comparative, integrative, and statistical approaches. Bats are excellent models for addressing evolutionary, ecological, and theoretical questions, given their world-wide distribution and their great biological heterogeneity. Annual meetings of the North American Society for Bat Research (NASBR) have contributed to the development of this field of molecular evolution, and we propose some future directions for phylogeographic research on bats.