Work

Digest: American bats that predominantly feed on plants are more diverse than their generalist relatives

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Omnivory has been hypothesized to be a macroevolutionary sink. A new study by Ochoa-Sanz et al. (2025) tests this hypothesis in Phyllostomidae, a highly ecologically and species-diverse bat family comprising species with different feeding habits, including omnivores and plant specialists. Plant specialists have higher speciation rates than omnivorous bat species, while balanced omnivores have higher speciation rates than plant-predominant ones. Part of the explanation for these differences might be related to the evolution of omnivory during periods of resource scarcity.

Source: Evolution

DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpaf227

Authors: Hernani F M Oliveira, Geraldo B Freire-Jr, Nícholas F Camargo, Daiana C Silva, Sarah S Machado, Joaquim M Silva, Fabrícius M C B Domingos

Institutions: Universidade Federal do Paraná, Universidade de Brasília, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso

Language: English

Topic: Bat Biology and Ecology Studies

Subfield: Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

OpenAlex ID: W4415946428

FWCI:

Cites: 11

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