Jos G. Ochoa, Javier H. Snchez
Taxonomic status of Micronycteris homezi (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae)
There are currently six species of Micronycteris (sensu stricto) recognized in
Venezuela, of which three have pale venters: M. homezi, M. minuta and
M. schmidtorum. Since the original description of M. homezi as a subspecies
of M. megalotis (based on the presence of a cutaneous fossa in the
interauricular region), this taxon has not appeared in checklists for
Venezuelan mammal inventories due to confusion and uncertainty related to
the original description. However, it was recently reconsidered as a valid
taxon on the basis of an additional series of males collected in French
Guiana, Guyana, and Brazil. The examination of a larger number of
specimens of Micronycteris collected in Venezuela (73 of them within the
pale venter group), allows us to reject the cutaneous fossa as a valid character
to diagnose M. homezi, suggesting that the name homezi represents a junior
synonym of M. minuta. Among the arguments supporting this statement are:
1) the discovery of a cutaneous fossa in two congeneric forms (M. megalotis
and M. microtis); 2) the existence of histological evidence verifying the
presence of this structure (incipiently developed) in specimens assignable to
M. minuta; 3) the development of the fossa only in adult males (associated
with a hypertrophy of the interauricular band); and 4) the similarity, in both
chromatic and morphological features of Venezuelan specimens assignable
to either M. minuta or M. homezi. The presence of a developed cutaneous
fossa only in some adult males, as well as its correlation with the growth of
the interauricular band and the modification of histological components
could be the result of hormonal effects influenced by social rank or
reproductive condition. Both structures are elements of a coordinated
system, whereby the interauricular band is responsible for the production of
sebaceous substances associated with the cutaneous fossa.
Mammalia, Walter de Gruyter
Print ISSN: 0025-1461
Volume: 69, 12/2005
Pages: 323 - 335
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