Free-tailed bat

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Free-tailed bats
Temporal range: Late Eocene to recent
A bat hangs on the wall of a cave
Unidentified molossid: Note that the tail extends beyond the uropatagium
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Superfamily: Vespertilionoidea
Family: Molossidae
de Castelnau
, 1855
Type genus
Molossus
Geoffroy, 1805
Subfamilies

Molossinae

Tomopeatinae

The Molossidae, or free-tailed bats, are a family of bats within the order Chiroptera.[1] The Molossidae is the fourth-largest family of bats, containing about 110 species as of 2012.[2] They are generally quite robust, and consist of many strong-flying forms with relatively long and narrow wings with wrinkled lips shared through their genus.[3] Their strong flying form allows them to fly 60 miles per hour using tail winds and at altitudes over 10,000 feet.[3] This makes them unique among bats, as they are the only bat family that withstands the elevation. They are widespread, being found on every continent except Antarctica. They are typically found in caves, abandoned mines, or tunnels.[3]

Common ancestry

The family's scientific name comes from the

Molossus breed of dogs.[4]

The family's common name is derived from a length of "free" tail, projecting beyond the end of the uropatagium—the membrane that connects the base of the tail to the hind legs.

Another common name for some members of this group, and indeed a few species from other families, is mastiff bat. The western mastiff bat (Eumops perotis), a large species from the southwestern United States and Mexico with wings over 0.5 m (1.6 ft) across, is perhaps one of the best known with this name. They are widespread, being found on every continent except Antarctica.

Anatomy

The tail is usually best seen when resting. A special ring of

martins. As a result, these animals include the fastest-flying of all bat species among their number.[5] The dental formula
of free-tailed bats varies between species: 1.1.1-2.2-31-3.1.2.3

Free-tailed bats are usually grey, brown, or black in color, with some exceptions. They range from 4 to 12 cm (1.6 to 4.7 in) in length, excluding the tail, and can weigh from 8 to 220 g (0.28 to 7.76 oz), depending on species. They are insectivorous, and catch their food on the wing. While some species roost in small groups in hollow trees or rocky crevices, some cave-dwelling species form vast colonies of up to 50 million individuals.[5]

Molecular sequence data support the

C. jobimena plus Mops was found to be monophyletic, as was Otomops.[6]

Systematics

Molossinae
Internal relationship of Molossinae[2]

A 2012 study attempted to show the relationships of genera within the subfamily Molossinae (the other subfamily of Molossidae, Tomopeatinae, only contains the blunt-eared bat).[2] This study used

phylogeny, which contrasted from previous phylogenies constructed using morphological
data. Traits that were previously used to group species, such as having a flat skull, were shown to have no relation to evolutionary relationship, meaning that flat-headedness evolved multiple times within the family. Of the 16 genera of Molossinae, 15 were used to create the phylogeny (left), with researchers unable to include
Platymops
.

The results of this study showed that

Chaerephon is paraphyletic, forming a clade with Mops
. There was strong support for Old World and New World clades. While the genus Tadarida has one New World species, the Mexican free-tailed bat, the genus itself has its origins in the Old World. The most recent common ancestor of Tadarida with New World genera was 29 million years ago. Several tribes have been proposed within the Molossinae. Ammerman et al. proposed Molossini (containing Molossus, Eumops, Molossops, Cynomops, Neoplatymops, Nyctinomops, and Promops); Tadarini (containing Tadarida, Chaerephon, Mops, Platymops, Sauromys, Myopterus, and Otomops); Cheiromelini (containing Cheiromeles); and Mormopterini (containing Mormopterus)[2]

Classification

The 18 genera contain about 100 species:

FAMILY MOLOSSIDAE

References

Wikispecies has information related to Molossidae.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Molossidae.
  1. ^
    ISBN 978-0801882210
    . Retrieved 2 October 2009.
  2. ^
    doi:10.1644/11-MAMM-A-103.1
    .
  3. ^ a b c "BATS Magazine Article: The Lives of Mexican Free-tailed Bats". www.batcon.org. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  4. ISBN 978-0521844185
    . The name of the [free-tailed bats] family is derived from the Greek molossus, a kind of dog used by Greek shepherds in ancient times
  5. ^
    ISBN 978-0871968715
    .
  6. S2CID 85394657
    .
  7. ^ Cuvierimops at Fossilworks.org
  8. ^ Nyctinomus at Fossilworks.org
  9. ISBN 978-1560984184
    .
  10. ^ Rhizomops at Fossilworks.org
  11. ^ Wallia at Fossilworks.org
  12. ISBN 978-0226282404
    .

Further reading
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