Molecular phylogeny and genetic diversity of roundleaf bats (hipposideridae: hipposideros) in Sabah, Malaysia
Hipposideros spp. or roundleaf bats is one of the most common taxonomic unit found in the understorey layer of Bornean lowland forests. Being a group of insectivorous bats, Hipposideros spp. provides essential service as an ecological indicator. In spite of the valuable services they provide to the...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
2020
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/40692/1/24%20PAGES.pdf https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/40692/2/FULLTEXT.pdf |
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| Summary: | Hipposideros spp. or roundleaf bats is one of the most common taxonomic unit found in the understorey layer of Bornean lowland forests. Being a group of insectivorous bats, Hipposideros spp. provides essential service as an ecological indicator. In spite of the valuable services they provide to the natural ecosystem, the phylogenetic status of this genus is still eluded with uncertainties, which may hinder effective management of this genus. A good resolution of phylogeny is needed for taxonomic clarification, conservation management and zoonotic outbreak predictions. Besides that, the availability of genetic diversity assessment of Hipposideros spp. is still limited. Considering the importance of genetic diversity on a species’ survivability during unprecedented events, on top of the cruciality of phylogeny, this study aims to achieve two objectives, which are to (1) To determine the phylogenetic relationships between five species of roundleaf bats (Hipposideros spp.) in Sabah using two mitochondrial and one nuclear markers and (2) assess the genetic diversity of the four populations of Hipposideros cervinus in Sabah using two mitochondrial gene regions. Field samplings were conducted across several protected areas in Sabah – Crocker Range Park, Tawau Hills Park, Gomantong Forest Reserve, Maliau Basin Conservation Area and Danum Valley Conservation Area. Three genes; Cytochrome b (cyt b) (1140 bp), Recombination Activating Gene (RAG 1) (1086 bp) and Displacement loop (D-loop) (1600 bp) were concatenated for phylogenetic analyses, whereas for H. cervinus genetic diversity assessment, only the concatenated matrix of the two mitochondrial genes were utilised. Cyt b gene tree presented three main lineages of Hipposideros species found distributed in Sabah, and reaffirm the polyphyletic placement of several Hipposideros spp. Despite so, Cyt b gene tree itself did not receive high degree of nodal support. On the contrary, the phylogenetic tree resulted from the concatenation of Cyt b, D-loop and RAG 1 provided much better resolution, with most of the nodes getting full support. It is revealed that the specimens analysed belongs to two species groups – the large bodied diadema species group and the smaller bodied, more speciose, bicolor species group. Supplementary genetic divergence analysis provide evidence to corroborate the presence of species complex within the currently recognised H. ater. Notable intraspecific structuring observed within the H. cervinus of Malaysian Borneo characterised with high genetic diversity and positive gene flow between the different populations. This unconventional pattern of high genetic variability with significant degree of gene interchange can be explained by the slow reproductive rate and long generation time of Chiroptera. Ultimately, this study has managed to provide information on the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Hipposideros in Sabah, as well as on the status of genetic diversity status of Hipposideros cervinus. From a conservation view-point, these are useful in aiding conservation planning and management of the leaf-nosed bats of Sabah, which can incorporate molecular data rather than only relying on the conventional data. |
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