Significance of karyotypic evolution in phyllostomid bats (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) as revealed by chromosome painting

The family Phyllostomidae represents a lineage of Chiroptera marked by unprecedented morphological/ecological diversity among mammalian families and by extensive chromosomal reorganization in several taxa. The history of karyotypic changes has yet to be elucidated for this group of bats, especially for taxa with highly rearranged karyotypes. In this dissertation, chromosome paints were developed from Macrotus californicus, a species with a proposed basal karyotype, to help understand the chromosomal evolution within Phyllostomidae. The first manuscript is a test of the role of these paints as tools to identify chromosomal homology and rearrangements in species with varying degrees of chromosomal change. In the second data chapter, an integrative approach using molecular cytogenetics, molecular phylogenetics, and analysis of theoretical models of fixation of chromosomal rearrangements was performed to better understand the factors responsible for generating the highly rearranged karyotype of the genus Tonatia. The final data chapter uses information derived from chromosome painting and a dated phylogeny to better understand the role of chromosomal evolution as a process correlated with adaptation and diversification of phyllostomids bats. I showed that chromosome painting is a powerful tool for the identification of chromosome homologies in phyllostomid bats. In addition, I concluded that chromosomal rearrangements do not occur at a homogeneous rate in different phyllostomid lineages. The genetic landscapes provided by differential karyotypic changes in independent lineages remain potential sources of evolutionary innovations, which contributed to the diversification within the family Phyllostomidae.