New species of Bat, Hipposideros Griffini, discovered in Vietnam
11 August ScienceDaily
A distinctive echolocation frequency led to the discovery of a new
species of bat within the genus Hipposideros. Although this bat is
similar to the species Hipposideros armiger, differences in acoustics,
size, and DNA between these bats led to the identification of the new
species. This new member of the bat community, which has been found in
two locations in Vietnam, has been given the scientific name
Hipposideros griffini.
The current article of the Journal of Mammalogy reports on findings
from a survey of bats in Vietnam over a span of three years. Eleven of
308 bats of the Hipposideros genus that were captured and handled for
study displayed differing characteristics from all known taxa of
Hipposideros and represent a new species.Captured bats were measured for
features such as forearm length, ear height, nose-leaf width, tooth row
length, and body mass.
Tissue samples were taken for genetic analysis. Recordings were made
inside a flight tent, in front of caves, and under forest canopies,
identifying calls of bats when they left their roosts and when they were
foraging. Researchers used software for bat call analysis that can
display color sonograms and measure frequencies.
The H. griffini bat has a smaller overall body size than its close
cousin, H. armiger, and variations in the skull and teeth. Differences
also appeared in the mitochondrial DNA collected from these bats.
The echolocation frequencies of the new species range from 76.6 to
79.2 kHz, which is higher than frequencies of several H. armiger
subspecies, which range from 64.7 to 71.4 kHz. Additional evidence shows
that these two species are occupying the same geographical region yet
have retained their separate identities.
H. griffini is named after the late Professor Donald Redfield Griffin
of Rockefeller University in New York. Griffin was a leader in and
essential contributor to bat echolocation research, which was key to
identifying H. griffini as a new species.
The proposed common name for this bat is "Griffin's leaf-nosed
bat."The new species was found at Cat Ba Island in Ha Long Bay in
northern Vietnam and in Chu Mom Ray National Park, situated on the
mainland more than 600 miles (1,000 km) to the south. H. griffini joins
about 70 other species within the genus Hipposideros. |