Morphological variation in the Fringed myotis, Myotis thysanodes Miller (Vespertilionidae) Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Wright, David Terry, 1937- Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 04/10/2021 20:23:48 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/318553 MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATION IN THE FRINGED MYOTIS, MYOTIS THYSANODES MILLER, (VESPERTILIONIDAE) by David Terry Wright A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of ' MASTER OF SCIENCE In the Graduate College THE.UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 1 9 6 6 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. SIGNED: APPROVAL BY THESIS DIRECTOR This thesis has been approved on the date shown below: E. LENDELL COCKRUM Date Professor of Zoology ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS For advice and assistance throughout this study., I wish to thank my major professor. Dr* Eo Lendell Cockrum0 For assistance in preparing the manuscript, I express my appreciation to Drs 0 Howard Ko Gloyd and William Jo McCauleyQ For the loan of specimens or the opportunity to examine specimens, in their care, I. especially thank the following: California Academy of Sciences, D 0 E 0 McClintock; Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Po A& Gerstner; University of Kansas Museum of Natural History,. Ec Ho Hall and JQ K e Jones, Jf@ ; Los Angeles County Museum, M 0 Gage; Michigan State University Museum, R 0 H 0 Baker; University of Michigan, Department of Zoology, Fo Ho Test; c Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Jo So Findley and Co Lo Jones; Department of Zoology, University of Utah, S* D 0 Durrant; Department of Zoology, Washington State University, G„ E„ Hudson, iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION oeoeooeoocoooooooooooooo 1 MATERIAL AND METHODS © « © © • . © . • © © © © © © © © • . © 3 ECOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTION © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © 4 Seasonal vain, at ions ©©©o©©©©©©©©©©©©©©© 4 GEOGRAPHIC VARIATION © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © 10 Accounts of Subspecies © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © 11 Myotis thysanodes thysanodes © © © © © © © © © © © © © © 11 Range © & ©-© © © © © © © © © © © © © © © ©© © © © © 12 Diagnosis ©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©o© 12 Comp air is ons © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © 12 Remarks © © _ © © © © © © © © , © © © © © © © © © © © © © 12 Specimens examined ©©©©©©o©©©©©©©©©©© 13 Miyotis thysanodes arizonae © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © 13 Type oooooooooooooooeooooooooo 13 Range © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © 13 Diagnosis ©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©o© 14 Comparisons ©©©©©©©©©©o© ©©©©©©©©© 14 Remarks ©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©o© 14 Specimens-examined © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © 15 My otis thysanodes mexicana ©©©©©©©©©©©©©©© 15 Type © o © © © o o © © © ©60 © © © © © © ©'© © © © © 15 Range ©o©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©© 15 Diagnosis ©©©©©©©o©©©©© ©©©©©©©©© 15 Comparisons © © © ©©©©©©©©©©o©©© ©o©© 16 Remarks © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © 16 Specimens examined © © ©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©© 16 Myotis thysanodes jewelensis » © © « © © © © © © © © © © 17 Typ Qooooo 0 0000 0 000000*0000000 17 Range © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © ® © © © © 17 Diagnosis © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © 17 Comparis ons ©o©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©© 17 Remarks ©©©©©©©© ©©o©©©©©©©©©©©© 18 Specimens examined © ©©©©©©© ©©©©©©©©©© 18 iv V Page Myotis thysanod.es washingtonensis „ o..o«o,*o. 18 Type o'© o © '. o • o o o o o o e o o o o o © , o o o o o o 18 Range ©ooooooooooooooooooooooo 18 DiagnOSIS oooeeeoooeoooooooooooo 18 COHip aH S ons ooooooe ooooooooooooo© 18 Remarks © © © ® © © © © © © © © © © © ©.© © © © © © © 19 Specimens esc amine d © © © © © © ©.© © © © © © © © © © 19 Myotis thysanodes minimus © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © 19 Typ e © o © © © o © © © © © © © © © © o-o o- o © © © © 19 Range © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © 19 Diagnosis ©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©o 19 Comparisons © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © 20 Remarks © © © « © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © 20 Specimens examined ©.©©©© © © © © © © © © © © © © 20 ' ' ' ' . ' . ,^\ DISCUSSION © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © . © ■ (29-y LITERATURE CITED © © © © © © © © © © © © © © ©,© © © © © © 30 LIST OF TABLES Number Page lo - Banding and subsequent in place recovery dates of individuals of Myotis thysanodes, 0 » 0 o » o « » » 8 2o Statistical data for measurements presented in F i g s p 2 ^ 8 ^ 4 ^ and 5 <$ e e o o © © © © © © © © © © © © © 2 6 vi LIST OF FIGURES Number Page lo Distribution of the subspecies of Myotis thysanodeSo Subspecies are represented by the following letters: A = M. t* thvsanodes; B - Mo ho arizonae; C '= Mo to mexicana; D = M* t_o minimus; E - M 0 t 0 iewelensis; F = M. to washingtonensis.; G = Mo t* aztecuso O ’ Ss represent localities of specimens examinedo © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © 21 2 0 Modified Dice-Leraas graphs of forearm lengths of six subspecies of Myotis thysanodes© Rectangles include the 95% confidence intervals© For explanation of letters 3 see Fig© 1 © © © © © © © © © © © © ©»© © © © 22 3© Modified Dice-Leraas graphs of metacarpal III lengths of six subspecies of Myotis thysanodes© Rectangles include the 95% confidence intervals© For explana­ tion of letters, see Fig© 1*© © © © © © © © © © © © © © 23 4© Modified Dice-Leraas graphs of tibia lengths of six subspecies of Myotis thysanodes© Rectangles in­ clude the 95% confidence intervals© For explanation of letters, see Fig© 1© © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © 24 5© Modified Dice-Leraas graphs of lengths of maxillary toothrows, breadth across upper molars, and skull lengths in six subspecies of Myotis thysanodes © Rec­ tangles include the 95% confidence intervals© For explanation of letters, see Fig© 1© © © © © © © © © © © 25 vii ABSTRACT Banding data indicate that in Myoti's thysanodes there is a local separation of sexes during spring and summer3 and that this species is non-migratoryo This behavior results in a geographic isolation of populationSo An examination of 244 museum specimens taken from a large part of the range indicates that morphological variation occurs at a level sufficient to justify recognition of six subspecieso These are M 0 to thysanodes^ arizonae, mexicana, jewelensis ^ washingtonensis ^ and minimuso The latter five are described here as new subspecieso viii INTRODUCTION The known range of the Fringed myotis, Myotis thysanodes Miller.,' extends from, southern British Columbia, Canada, southward through most of the western,United States, and in the mountains of Mexico to the state of Oaxacae Within this range, two subspecies are currently recognized: Me t 0 aztecus and M. .jto thysanodes, Both were described by Miller and Allen (1928) <> M. jto aztecus is restricted to a small portion of this range, being known only from two localities in Oaxaca (Hall and Kelson, 1959)» The huge extent of the geographic range of the nominant subspecies, M« to thysanodes, is surprising, especially in view of the fact that the several other species of Myotis that occupy similar ranges (including Mo velifer, yumanensis, evotis, and californicus) are all separable into several geographic raceso The primary aim of this study was to determine whether the apparent genetic homogeneity of the Fringed myotis implied by the cur­ rent taxonomic catagories is real or whether geographic variation does occur and simply has not been recognized and adequately described, A review of the literature revealed that not many specimens of the Fringed myotis have been taken. For example, when Miller and Allen (1928) pub­ lished their revision of the American bats of the genus Myotis, they had only 199 specimens of Myotis thysanodes available for study. In ) i 2 contrast, they had 477 specimens of Mo velifer, 699 specimens of Mo yumanensis, and 576 specimens of M c californicuso The present study involves an investigation of the morphological features of 244 specimens of the Fringed myotis, none of which had been examined by Miller and Allen (1928)» Further, the results of various banding studies involving bats of this species were also available; these have revealed several pertinent behavioral and ecological traits of the species that help to evaluate the morphological data obtained from the preserved specimens0 3 . MATERIALS AND METHODS Museum study skins and skulls of 244 specimens of Myotis thysanodes thysanodes Miller and Allen were, examined0 Three body and thirteen skull measurements were takeno Body measurements included forearm length? tibia length, and length of the third metacarpalo Skull measurements