Molecular phylogenetics of Stenodermatini bat genera: congruence of data from nuclear and mitochondrial DNA

Within the tribe Stenodermatini the systematics of the complex of speciesallied with the genus Artibeus has generated several alternativephylogenetic hypotheses. The most recent treatment recognized four genera(Artibeus, Dermanura, Enchisthenes, and Koopmania) and suggested that themost recent common ancestor of these four genera would include the commonancestor of all other currently recognized Stenodermatini genera exceptSturnira. To test this hypothesis, we examined an EcoRI-defined nuclearsatellite DNA repeat and 402 bp of DNA sequence variation from themitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Phylogenetic conclusions based on Southernblot analyses, in situ hybridization, and mitochondrial DNA sequence dataindicate that Enchisthenes is not closely related to Dermanura, Artibeus,or Koopmania and that Dermanura, Artibeus, and Koopmania shared a commonancestor after diverging from the remainder of the Stenodermatini. If ourconclusions are correct, then justification for recognizing Dermanura andKoopmania as generically distinct from Artibeus must be based on themagnitude of difference that distinguishes each rather than on theconclusion that to place them as congeneric with Artibeus creates aparaphyletic taxon.