Nataloidea

Introduction

Nataloidea comprises four small families: Myzopodidae (which is monotypic), Thyropteridae (1 genus and 3 species), Furipteridae (2 genera and 2 species), and Natalidae (1 genus and 6 species; Koopman, 1993; Pine, 1993; Simmons, 1998; Simmons and Geisler, 1998). Thyropteridae, Furipteridae, and Natalidae are all Neotropical in distribution, but Myzopodidae is found only in Madagascar. Nataloids live only in tropical areas, and most species are found in rainforest habitats. All nataloids are insectivores that catch their prey on the wing.

Characteristics

All Nataloidea share the following features:

1. ear pinnae more or less funnel-shaped.
2. three lower premolars in each side of jaw.
3. modifications of the hyoid apparatus including m. geniohyoid originating from pronglike process that extends posteroventrally from symphysis region, m. geniohyoideus origin extended laterally onto medial surface of mandible, occupying anterior one-forth to one-third of medial mandibular surface, ventralmost fibers of m. genioglossus fused to fibers from caudal portion of m. geniohyoideus, and ventralmost fibers of m. genioglossus inserts onto basihyal.
4. wing digit II with ossified first phalanx unossified or absent.
   

Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships

All four nataloid families are clearly monophyletic, and the three Neotropical taxa (Thyropteridae, Furipteridae, and Natalidae) together form a clade (Simmons, 1998; Simmons and Geisler, 1998). Within this group, there is strong support for a sister-group relationship between Furipterdidae and Natalidae (Simmons, 1998; Simmons and Geisler, 1998). Relationships within the only two speciouse groups, Thyropteridae and Natalidae, have never been formally analyzed.

Geographic Distribution

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The geographical distribution of Nataloidea is shown in red. Distribution from Hill and Smith (1984).

References

Hill, J.E., and J.D. Smith. 1984. Bats: a natural history. Austin: University of Texas Press.

Koopman, K. F. 1983. Order Chiroptera. In Mammal species of the world, a taxonomic and geographic reference, 2nd ed. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder. Washinton, D. C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.

Pine, R. H. 1993. A new species of Thyroptera Spix (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Thyropteridae) from the Amazon Basin of northeastern Peru. Mammalia, 57:213-225.

Simmons, N. B. 1998. A reappraisal of interfamilial relationships of bats. In Bats: Phylogeny, Morphology, Echolocation and Conservation Biology. T.H. Kunz and P.A. Racey (eds.). Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press.

Simmons, N. B. & J. H. Geisler. 1998. Phylogenetic relationships of Icaronycteris, Archeonycteris, Hassianycteris, and Palaeochiropteryx to extant bat lineages, with comments on the evolution of echolocation and foraging strategies in microchiroptera. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 235:1-182.