Variação intraespecífica no tamanho corporal e no dimorfismo sexual de tamanho em morcegos filostomídeos

• Ano de defesa: 2014
• Autor(a) principal: Ulian, Carina Maria Vela [UNIFESP]
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: por
• Instituição de defesa: Universidade Federal de São Paulo
• Palavras-chave em Português: Altitude; Atlantic forest; Bats ecology; Morphometric analysis; Sex; Ecologia de morcegos; Mata Atlântica; Morfometria; Sexo
• Link de acesso: https://sucupira.capes.gov.br/sucupira/public/consultas/coleta/trabalhoConclusao/viewTrabalhoConclusao.jsf?popup=true&id_trabalho=1728259; http://repositorio.unifesp.br/handle/11600/46205

Sexual size dimorphism is widely studied in mammals. Its magnitude and direction present large variation among species, since there are different selective forces acting on each sex. Besides, how altitude and other climatic variables such as temperature and humidity can influence observed patterns are not clearly understood. For bats, most existing data suggest that females are the larger sex. However, more data are still needed. In this study, it was investigated the magnitude of sexual size dimorphism (SSD) in filostomid bats, its relationship with altitude, and whether altitude causes variation in body size. It was also tested whether male size varies more than female size, following the Rensch rule. Bats were captured in four localities, which are part of the Atlantic Forest, located in different altitudes. Forearm length and body mass were used as body size estimation. Anoura caudifer was the only species that presented sexual dimorphism with respect to forearm length, with females as the larger sex in the highest area. Artibeus lituratus and Carollia perspicillata showed an increased SSD with altitude because, at least to A. lituratus, females were larger in the highest area. Although A. caudifer presented variation in female body size and SSD, an altitudinal gradient was not observed. Sturnira lilium showed neither sexual dimorphism nor variation in SSD with altitude. Habitat characteristic, feeding rate and temperature variation are possible processes that may explain the increase in SSD in A. lituratus and C. perspicillata in the highest areas with respect to forearm length, and also contributing to larger body mass in A. lituratus females, which may be associated to heat conservation. Larger female trends may either indicate that selection may favor female fecundity or that sexual selection may favor small males, or even both. Within an interspecific context, the Rensch rule was not followed, possibly due to the low frequency of dimorphism in the studied species.