Explosive radiation at the origin of Old World fruit bats (Chiroptera, Pteropodidae)

Pteropodidae constitutes one of the most diverse bat families. These bats have evolved a phytophagous diet, likely lost laryngeal echolocation capability, and attained the largest body sizes among bats. Previous phylogenetic studies suggested that the family might have experienced an explosive diversification at its origin. Here, we readdress this hypothesis using a macroevolutionary approach based on Bayesian statistics (BAMM), a sampling of 139 pteropodid species, and divergence date estimates obtained in a comprehensive phylogenetic study of Chiroptera with multiple fossil calibration points. We evaluated the effect of missing data and of a reduced outgroup by repeating the analyses across simulated complete phylogenies and across a comprehensive Yinpterochiroptera phylogeny, respectively. Additionally, we performed an alternative analysis to detect diversification-rate shifts through time, the birth - death - shift method. In contrast with a previous study, we found strong statistical signals of rapid diversification at the origin of Pteropodidae. BAMM also detected diversification-rate shifts (increases) at the origin of Pteropus , as well as at crown Hipposideridae and Rhinolophidae. The birth-death-shift method detected a shift at approximately 25 million years ago, the estimated crown ages of both Pteropodidae and Hipposideridae. Our results point to a complex dynamics in the evolution of bat families, likely related to key innovations, demographic factors, and environmental opportunity enhanced by global-scale climatic and geographic changes.