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PubMedDate not supplied

Evidence for echolocation in the oldest known bats.

The earliest-known bats are represented by excellent fossil material, including virtually complete skeletons of Icaronycteris index from the early Eocene (50 Myr BP) of western Wyoming and Palaeochiropteryx tupaiodon from the middle Eocene (45 Myr BP) 'Grube Messel' of western Germany. These taxa have been closely allied with Recent Microchiroptera, a suborder of diverse bats noted for their powers of ultrasonic echolocation. A problem with this relationship is the alleged absence in the Eocene forms of specializations in the auditory region and other aspects of the skeletal system. It has been proposed, therefore, that the oldest bats are members of a group more primitive and possibly ancestral to the Microchiroptera and the visually oriented Megachiroptera. Previously undescribed specimens now show, however, that Icaronycteris and Palaeochiropteryx share special basicranial features with microchiropterans which suggest comparable refinement of ultrasonic echolocation. These results support the theory that a sophisticated sonar system was present in the earliest records of microchiropteran history.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

No cost of echolocation for bats in flight.

Echolocation has evolved in relatively few animal species. One constraint may be the high cost of producing pulses, the echoes of which can be detected over useful distances. The energy cost of echolocation in a small (6 g) insectivorous bat, when hanging at rest, was recently measured at 0.067 Joules per pulse, implying a mean cost for echolocation in flight of 9.5 x basal metabolic rate (range 7 to 12x). Because flight is very costly, whether the costs of echolocation and flying are additive is an important question. We measured the energy costs of flight in two species of small echolocating Microchiroptera using a novel combination of respirometry and doubly-labelled water. Flight energy expenditure (adjusted for body mass) was not significantly different between echolocating bats and non-echolocating bats and birds. The low cost of echolocation for flying vertebrates may have been a significant factor favouring its evolution in these groups.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Wing bone stresses in free flying bats and the evolution of skeletal design for flight.

The primary mechanical functions of limb bones are to resist deformation, and hence provide stiff levers against which muscles can act, and to be sufficiently strong to prevent breaking under static or dynamic loads which arise from normal and accidental activities. If bones perform these functions with a minimum amount of material, the energetic costs associated with building, maintaining and transporting the skeleton will be minimized. Appropriate skeletal architecture for minimizing mass while maximizing strength depends on forces imposed on structural elements. In the evolutionary acquisition of flight in the bat lineage, the forelimb skeleton must have come to experience locomotor-forces that differed from those engendered by the terrestrial locomotion of non-flying bat relatives. Here we successfully measure in vivo strain on the wing bones of flying mammals. Our data demonstrate that torsion and shear are unique and crucial features of skeletal biomechanics during flight, and suggest that the evolution of skeletal design in bats and other flying vertebrates may be driven by the need to resist these loads.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Navigation: bat orientation using Earth's magnetic field.

Bats famously orientate at night by echolocation, but this works over only a short range, and little is known about how they navigate over longer distances. Here we show that the homing behaviour of Eptesicus fuscus, known as the big brown bat, can be altered by artificially shifting the Earth's magnetic field, indicating that these bats rely on a magnetic compass to return to their home roost. This finding adds to the impressive array of sensory abilities possessed by this animal for navigation in the dark.

Animals↗
PubMed2026

Characterization and evolutionary history of novel SARS-CoV-2-related viruses in bats from Cambodia.

Circulating bat coronaviruses present a significant pandemic threat, yet our understanding of their genetic diversity and evolutionary dynamics remains limited. Over 3 years, we sampled 1,462 bats in Cambodia's Steung Treng province, identifying extensive and diverse coronaviruses co-circulation. Using metatranscriptomic and amplicon sequencing, we generated 33 complete sarbecovirus genomes sequences, revealing novel lineages that cluster into four distinct groups, each associated with different Rhinolophus bat species. Our analysis highlights rapid migration and recombination of sarbecovirus lineages over short distances and timescales. Of note, the receptor-binding domains of two novel viral groups exhibit high similarity to SARS-CoV-2, and pseudovirus assays confirmed the ability of this spike protein to mediate entry into cells expressing human ACE2, suggesting a potential zoonotic risk. The observed genetic diversity underscores the urgent need for continuous surveillance to identify high-risk animal-to-human interfaces and inform pandemic preparedness.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Intraspecific evolution of Canary Island Plecotine bats, based on mtDNA sequences.

Island differentiation and relationships with congenerics were investigated in the endemic Canary Island bat Plecotus teneriffae, based on approximately 1 kb of mtDNA from the 16S rRNA and cytochrome b genes. P. teneriffae had closer affinities with P. austriacus than with P. auritus. Levels of differentiation between Canary Islands were quite high relative to Pipistrelle-like bats, consistent with philopatric behaviour in the Plecotus genus. Cladogenesis within P. teneriffae appears to have occurred after the emergence of the islands of El Hierro and La Palma during the Pleistocene. An intraspecific network shows that haplotypes from the younger islands of La Palma and El Hierro are connected to the Tenerife haplotype by a similarly large number of mutational steps. This suggests that they were both colonised at a similar time from the much older island of Tenerife. The other Plecotine bat species, Barbastellus barbastellus shows close affinities with B. barbastellus from mainland Spain, with levels of mtDNA divergence being comparable with intraspecific variation within other mammal species.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Comparative phylogeography of short-tailed bats (Carollia: Phyllostomidae).

This is the first study of comparative phylogeography involving closely related species of Neotropical bats of the family Phyllostomidae. We compared patterns of geographical variation within the five species of fruit-eating bats currently recognized in the genus Carollia using the complete mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene. Our results suggest that the combined effect of the uplift of the Andes and the Panamanian land bridge has been as important for bats as for terrestrial mammals in shaping present-day biodiversity in the New World tropics. Species in this genus can be arranged in two highly supported clades, with a deep subdivision within each that corresponds well to differences across the Andes. We found three congruent phylogeographical patterns across species in this genus. First, the closer relationship between samples from western Ecuador and those from Central America, compared with populations east of the Andes in C. brevicauda, C. castanea and C. perspicillata. Second, the likelihood of a similar timing in South America for the arrival and diversification of C. brevicauda and C. perspicillata from their Central America ancestors. Third, the expansion of C. perspicillata and C. sowelli into northwestern Central America in the relatively recent past. Using a molecular clock, with rates ranging from 2.3 to 5% per 10(6) years, diversification within Carollia would have occurred over the last 1-4.5 Myr. These estimates agree well with the last rise of the Northern Andes and the Panama isthmus.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Absence of BAT-26 instability in gastric intestinal metaplasia.

BAT-26 instability, a sensitive marker for the high-frequency microsatellite instability (MSI-H) phenotype, was analyzed in samples of gastric cancer and in adjacent intestinal metaplastic mucosae. Although all MSI-H gastric cancer samples showed BAT-26 instability, as assessed using 12 dinucleotide microsatellite markers, BAT-26 instability was not found in the adjacent intestinal metaplastic mucosa in any of the samples.

Genetic Markers↗
PubMed2002

Ultrastructure of the submandibular gland of the rare white-winged vampire bat, Diaemus youngi.

The submandibular gland of the white-winged vampire bat, Diaemus youngi, was examined by electron microscopy. Unlike typical submandibular glands, those in Diaemus have only one type of secretory cell in their endpieces, namely, serous cells. These serous cells are conventional in structure, with an extensive rough endoplasmic reticulum, scattered dictyosomes, and numerous secretory granules. The endpiece lumina, as well as intercellular canaliculi, are fitted with numerous microvilli, which also are present on the otherwise unremarkable intercalated duct cells. Striated ducts are of conventional morphology, but have a brush border-like array of microvilli on their luminal surface. These cells resemble those in the submandibular gland of the common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus. The presence of an abundance of microvilli in the salivary glands in the two vampire bat species (and their absence from chiropteran species that consume other types of diets) is a strong indication that these structures play a significant role in dealing with the problems posed by a sanguivorous diet.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Diet and the evolution of digestion and renal function in phyllostomid bats.

Bat species in the monophyletic family Phyllostomidae feed on blood, insects, small vertebrates, nectar, fruit and complex omnivorous mixtures. We used nitrogen stable isotope ratios to characterize bat diets and adopted a phylogenetically informed approach to investigate the physiological changes that accompany evolutionary diet changes in phyllostomids. We found that nitrogen stable isotopes separated plant-eating from animal-eating species. The blood of the latter was enriched in (15)N. A recent phylogenetic hypothesis suggests that with the possible exception of carnivory, which may have evolved twice, all diets evolved only once from insectivory. The shift from insectivory to nectarivory and frugivory was accompanied by increased intestinal sucrase and maltase activity, decreased trehalase activity, and reduced relative medullary thickness of kidneys. The shift from insectivory to sanguinivory and carnivory resulted in reduced trehalase activity. Vampire bats are the only known vertebrates that do not exhibit intestinal maltase activity. We argue that these physiological changes are adaptive responses to evolutionary diet shifts.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1986

Dissociation of methionine synthetase (EC 2.1.1.13) activity and impairment of DNA synthesis in fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) with nitrous oxide-induced vitamin B12 deficiency.

1. The effect of methylcobalamin inactivation by the anaesthetic gas nitrous oxide on the activity of the cobalamin-dependent methionine synthetase (5-methyltetrahydrofolate homocysteine methyltransferase; EC 2.1.1.13) reaction, and on DNA synthesis, in the fruit bat Rousettus aegyptiacus, was examined. 2. Methionine synthetase activity in the liver of bats exposed to N2O-oxygen (50:50, v/v) for 90 min/d averaged 32% of that of controls after 4 d of exposure and only 5% after 12-14 weeks of exposure. 3. DNA synthesis in the bone marrow, as reflected by the deoxyuridine suppression test, was unaffected by 4 d of exposure to N2O and only minimally affected after 5-10 weeks of exposure. 4. These results suggest that DNA synthesis in the fruit bat is unusually resistant to inhibition of methionine synthetase and imply the existence of a non-methylated circulating folate pool in this species.

5-Methyltetrahydrofolate-Homocysteine S-Methyltran↗
PubMed1997

Response of the North Island brown kiwi, Apteryx australis mantelli and the lesser short-tailed bat, Mystacina tuberculata to a measured dose of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus.

Four North Island brown kiwis and six lesser short-tailed bats were inoculated intramuscularly with 300 000 rabbit lethal doses of rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) virus. No clinical abnormalities were observed in the kiwis and bats throughout the study period. Although no viraemia was detected in any of the kiwis, all four birds produced a serological response to RHD virus above the positive cut-off by 14 days after inoculation, and in two of the birds, antibodies persisted for over 5 months. Two kiwis were killed 48 days after inoculation. Their tissues were examined for lesions, and for the presence of persistent virus by both reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and by inoculation of tissue suspensions into rabbits. No gross or histological lesions suggestive of a viral infection were detected and tests for detection of virus were negative. The serological response in the kiwis was probably due to the birds responding to viral antigen in the inoculum rather than to multiplication of the virus. None of the bats showed a serological response to RHD virus above the positive cut-off by 14 days after inoculation and the results of the pathological and virological examinations were negative.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Experimental rabies virus infection in Artibeus jamaicensis bats with CVS-24 variants.

An experimental model of rabies was established in the fruit-eating bat species Artibeus jamaicensis. The infections caused by CVS-N2c and CVS-B2c, which are both stable variants of CVS-24, were compared after inoculation of adult bats in the right masseter muscle. CVS-N2c produced neurologic signs of rabies with paresis, ataxia, and inability to fly, while CVS-B2c did not produce neurologic signs. Bats were sacrificed and the distribution of rabies virus antigen was assessed in tissue sections with immunoperoxidase staining. Both viruses spread to the brain stem and bilaterally to the trigeminal ganglia by days 2 to 3. CVS-N2c had disseminated widely in the central nervous system (CNS) by day 4 and had involved the spinal cord, thalamus, cerebellum, and cerebral cortex. CVS-B2c had infected neurons in the spinal cord on day 5 and in the cerebellum, thalamus, and cerebral cortex on day 6. Infected pyramidal neurons of the hippocampus were observed on day 5 in CVS-N2c infection, but infected neurons were never noted in the hippocampus in CVS-B2c infection. CVS-N2c infected many more neurons and more prominently involved neuronal processes than CVS-B2c. CVS-N2c spread more efficiently in the CNS than CVS-B2c. Morphologic changes of apoptosis or biochemical evidence of DNA fragmentation were not observed in neurons with either virus after this route of inoculation. The different neurovirulent properties of these CVS variants in this model were not related to their in vivo ability to induce apoptosis.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Behavior and muscle performance in heterothermic bats.

Body temperatures of winter-resident Korean bats typically range from 10 degrees to 40 degrees C between August and September and from 3 degrees to 15 degrees C between January and April. To learn how behavior and the motor systems of heterothermic bats respond to this body-temperature variation, we examined whole-organism performance and the temperature-dependence of contractile properties of flight muscle in Murina leucogaster ognevi. In winter and midspring, the lowest limits of body temperature were 8 degrees C for biting and crawling, 16 degrees C for visually observable shivering, 22 degrees C for wing flapping (without powered flight), and 28 degrees C for aerial flight. In summer, the lowest temperature limits changed little for biting and wing flapping, but the temperature limits increased about 3 degrees C for crawling, shivering, and flight. Maximum isometric tetanic tension of the isolated biceps brachii muscle was almost insensitive to tissue temperatures between 10 degrees and 40 degrees C, with an average temperature coefficient of 1.02 in summer and of 0.96 in winter. Rate of tetanic tension production between 10 degrees and 40 degrees C and shortening velocity and power between 15 degrees and 25 degrees C were temperature sensitive, with average temperature coefficients of 1.3-2.3. Seasonal differences in contractile properties within each temperature were not significant, except for maximum tetanic tension at 30 degrees - 40 degrees C. Thus, the motor system of the bats had functional capacity over the range of body temperature experienced in winter to summer. The temperature-dependence of behavior was consistent with muscle physiology. The defensive behaviors, like biting and crawling, observed at 8 degrees - 12 degrees C body temperature could be exerted by using temperature-independent tetanic tension, whereas activities, such as flight, that require power generation would be restricted to higher body temperatures by temperature-sensitive rate properties. Some rate processes appeared to be more temperature sensitive in summer than in winter.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Conjugation of monoclonal antibodies with TETA using activated esters: biological comparison of 64Cu-TETA-1A3 with 64Cu-BAT-2IT-1A3.

A simple method for conjugation of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with the chelating agent 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane-1,4,8,11-tetraacetic acid (TETA), has been developed using commercially available reagents. This method involved activation of a single carboxyl group of TETA with N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide and 1-ethyl-3-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]carbodiimide. The resulting activated ester of TETA was reacted with the anti-colorectal carcinoma mAb 1A3 at molar ratios ranging from 10:1 to 100:1 to give immunoconjugates modified with an average of 0.4 to 2.0 functional chelators per antibody molecule. The TETA-1A3 conjugate was labeled with 64Cu at specific activities as high as 15.4 microCi/microgram, and the radiolabeled mAb exhibited high in vitro serum stability and minimal loss of immunoreactivity. The biodistribution of 64Cu-labeled TETA-1A3 in hamsters bearing GW39 human colon carcinoma xenografts was compared to that of 64Cu-BAT-2IT-1A3 (BAT = 6-(p-bromoacetamidobenzyl)-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane-1,4,8,11- tetraacetic acid; 2IT = 2-iminothiolane). Both conjugates showed high tumor uptake (6.60-9.05% injected dose/gram) from 24 to 48 h post-injection and generally similar blood clearance and non-target organ uptakes. Human absorbed dose estimates derived from the hamster biodistribution data showed the critical organs for both conjugates to be the large intestine and the red marrow. Our results suggest that the in vitro and in vivo performance characteristics of 64Cu-TETA-1A3 compare favorably with those of 64Cu-BAT-2IT-1A3 and that further evaluation of the diagnostic and therapeutic efficacy of 64Cu-TETA-1A3 is warranted.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Indirect flight of an African bat to Israel: an example of the potential for zoonotic pathogens to move between continents.

The transmission of harmful pathogens during commercial air flights is an increasing health concern. A potential, yet relatively overlooked source of zoonotic infectious diseases involves collisions of birds and bats with aircraft and long distance transport of their carcasses. We report a case of aerial transportation of the remains of an African fruit bat over three continents, following a collision with an aircraft, and demonstrate the relative ease with which zoonotic pathogens, such as rabies virus or other viruses associated with bats, may cross national boundaries and continents even. Improper handling and disposal of animal remains by airport personnel, may lead to exposure of both humans and local fauna to exotic pathogens. This in turn may trigger an epidemic with potentially devastating results.

Aircraft↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Calcium-binding protein-containing neuronal populations in mammalian visual cortex: a comparative study in whales, insectivores, bats, rodents, and primates.

This study is focused on comparative analysis of gamma-aminobutyric acid-positive (GABAergic) neuronal populations in primary visual cortex of totally aquatic toothed whales and select terrestrial mammals with different evolutionary histories and various ecological adaptations. The distribution of neuronal populations containing the calcium-binding proteins calbindin and parvalbumin, which are recognized markers for the GABAergic neurons in cerebral cortex, is compared in five species of toothed whales and in representatives (one species each) of insectivores, bats, rodents, and primates. Computerized image analysis has shown that overall quantitative characteristics of GABAergic cortical neurons in toothed whales are similar to those in other mammalian orders. Thus, GABA-positive neurons represent 26% of the total population of cortical neurons in the visual cortex of whales. Some 97% of GABA-positive cells contain calcium-binding proteins, which is numerically similar to these parameters found in primates and other mammals. On the other hand, the typology and laminar distribution of calcium-binding protein-containing neurons in the primary visual cortex of five whale species (Delphinapterus leucas, Globicephala melaena, Phocoena phocoena, Stenella coeruleoalba, and Tursiops truncatus) differ significantly from those of primates (Macaca mulatta) and rodents (Rattus rattus) and are similar to those found in insectivorous bats (Eptesicus fuscus) and hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus). In whales, bats, and hedgehogs a significant concentration of calbindin-positive, vertically oriented bipolar and bitufted neurons was found in layers I, II, and IIIc/V with their axons arranged in a three-dimensional network. In primates and rodents they are distributed evenly across all cortical layers and are predominantly multipolar or bitufted neurons found in all cortical layers with their axons oriented along the vertical axis of the cortical plate. The parvalbumin-positive neurons in all mammalian species, including toothed whales, are represented by variously sized multipolar non-pyramidal cells. As opposed to all other mammalian species, the major concentrations of parvalbumin-positive neurons in whales are found in layers IIIc/V and VI, whereas in other cortical layers there are only scattered parvalbumin-positive neurons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Biology, ecology, and control of the vampire bat.

The importance of the vampire bat as a vector of rabies and its taxonomy, anatomic characteristics, distribution, feeding habits, behavior, and habitat are described. Also described are studies of methods of reducing vampire bat populations. Anticoagulants such as diphenadione and warfarin were shown to be effective in reducing vampire bat populations. These substances were used in different ways: application of the compound to the skin of captured vampires and then the release of the animals to contaminate the rest of the colony; treatment of vampire niches; topical treatment of vampire bites; and systemic treatment of cattle by administration of the anticoagulant intraruminally or intramuscularly. All these methods were shown to be effective and can be used to reduce vampire populations and to decrease the risk of transmission of rabies in enzootic areas.

Animals↗