A polytypic species revisited: phylogenetic and morphological variation, taxonomic status, and geographical distribution of Trachops (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)

Abstract

Abstract The taxonomic status of the Neotropical bat genus Trachops is reevaluated through an integrated study that incorporates morphological, morphometric, and molecular data across its extensive geographic range. Our research, which included previously unexamined geographical regions, revealed substantial insights into the diversity within Trachops. Genetic and morphological results support elevation of T. cirrhosus ehrhardti, distributed within the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, to species status due to differences in southeastern Brazil specimens. Conversely, our analysis found insufficient evidence to maintain the subspecific distinction of T. c. coffini, which lacks diagnosable morphological characters and is not genetically distinct from T. c. cirrhosus across its distribution range. Additionally, our findings challenge a prior notion of latitudinal differentiation in body size in T. cirrhosus, because specimens from western South America and northeastern South America exhibit similar sizes to those from Central America. These results underscore the importance of revising the taxonomic framework for this bat genus—contributing to a more precise understanding of its evolutionary relationships—and further enhancing conservation efforts considering potential threats to the newly recognized species in the imperiled Atlantic Forest of Brazil.