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The phylogenetics and phylogeography of the Jamaican fruit-eating bat (Artibeus jamaicensis) were examined based on analysis of DNA sequence variation in the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene for 176 individuals representing all 13 subspecies of A. jamaicensis (sensu Simmons 2005). Results document that A. jamaicensis (sensu Simmons 2005) comprises 3 monophyletic assemblages that are separated phylogenetically by the presence of A. obscurus, A. lituratus, and A. amplus. According to the mitochondrial DNA sequence variation, A. jamaicensis, A. schwartzi, and A. planirostris are appropriate species-level names for these lineages. Haplotypes identifiable as A. jamaicensis were absent east of the Andes Mountains in South America; haplotypes of A. schwartzi were documented throughout the Lesser Antilles and from northern Venezuela, and haplotypes of A. planirostris were identified east of the Andes Mountains in South America, north of the Orinoco River in Venezuela, and from the southern Lesser Antilles. Haplotypes of Artibeus jamaicensis, A. schwartzi, and A. planirostris were identified sympatrically on Carriacou, a small island in the southern Lesser Antilles that is ecologically monotypic. The magnitude of genetic divergence separating A. jamaicensis, A. planirostris, and A. schwartzi essentially equals the magnitude of genetic divergence distinguishing A. lituratus, A. obscurus, and A. jamaicensis. Studies of the nuclear genome will be required to understand the biological implications of these patterns in the mitochondrial genome. Key words: Artibeus jamaicensis, cytochrome b, mitochondrial DNA, phylogenetics, phylogeography, phylogroups, species, Genetic Species Concept

Examining species boundaries using data from multiple independent sources is an appropriate and robust method to identify genetically isolated evolutionary units. We used 5 data sets--cytochrome b (Cytb), cytochrome c oxidase (COI), amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs), karyotypes, and morphology--to estimate phylogenetic relationships and species limits within woolly bats, genus Kerivoula, from Southeast Asia. We genetically analyzed 54 specimens of Kerivoula from Malaysia, assigned to 6 of the 10 species currently reported from the country. Phylogenetic analyses of nuclear AFLPs (33 specimens) and mitochondrial DNA sequences from Cytb (51 specimens) and COI (48 specimens) resulted in similar statistically supported species-level clades with minimal change in branching order. Using comparisons of cranial and dental morphology and original species descriptions, we assigned the resulting phylogenetic clades to K. hardwickii, K. intermedia, K. lenis, K. minuta, K. papillosa, K pellucida, and 1 unidentified species. Karyotypes further documented variability among the 6 clades. Five different karyotypes were identified, with 2 species having indistinguishable karyotypes. We compared our COI gene sequence data to 110 specimens of Kerivoula from Southeast Asia made available by researchers of the Barcode of Life Database. Our Cytb and AFLP species identifications were congruent with those in the COI database. Intraspecific geographic variation of about 5--7% sequence divergence was observed in Cytb and COI genes within both K. hardwickii and K. minuta. Relaxed molecular clock analyses indicated a late Oligocene to early Miocene origin of the Kerivoulinae with intraspecific diversification events coinciding with the late Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs in at least 6 species. Specimens from Sabah (northeastern Borneo) showed relatively high genetic divergence compared to those between Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak (southwestern Borneo), indicating Pleistocene or Pliocene refugia in Borneo. We conclude that at least 1 distinct lineage of Kerivoula is yet to be described from Borneo and that the intraspecific geographic variation in some species agrees with previous studies on the diversification of flora and fauna in Borneo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]