Unveiling the Potential Distribution of the Highly Threatened Madeira Pipistrelle ( Pipistrellus maderensis ): Do Different Evolutionary Significant Units Exist?

• Published in: Biology (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 12; no. 7; p. 998
• Main Authors: Teixeira, Sérgio, Smeraldo, Sonia, Russo, Danilo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 13.07.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Analysis; Archipelagoes; Bats; Biodiversity; Biogeography; Biological diversity; Climate change; Conservation; ecological niche models; Ecosystems; Endangered & extinct species; Endangered species; Endemic species; Environmental conditions; Environmental factors; Environmental requirements; Evolution; Extinction; Genetic analysis; Genetic distance; Genetic diversity; Genetic research; Geographical distribution; Habitat preferences; Haplotypes; Islands; Macaronesia; Mitochondrial DNA; Niche (Ecology); Niches; Nonnative species; phylogenetic history; Physical characteristics; Pipistrellus maderensis; Plant reproduction; Taxonomy; Wildlife conservation; United Kingdom; Portugal; Spain; Christmas Island; Europe; ecological niche models; Macaronesia; phylogenetic history; islands; species distribution models; endemic species; Pipistrellus maderensis
• ISSN: 2079-7737; 2079-7737
• DOI: 10.3390/biology12070998

The isolation of islands has played a significant role in shaping the unique evolutionary histories of many species of flora and fauna, including bats. One notable example is the Madeira pipistrelle ( ), which inhabits the Macaronesian archipelagos of the Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands. Despite the high biogeographic and conservation importance of this species, there is limited information on its ecology and evolutionary history across different archipelagos. In our study, we employed species distribution models (SDMs) to identify suitable habitats for the Madeira pipistrelle and determine the environmental factors influencing its distribution. Additionally, we conducted molecular comparisons using mitochondrial DNA data from various Macaronesian islands. Molecular analyses provided compelling evidence for the presence of distinct Evolutionary Significant Units on the different archipelagos. We identified distinct haplotypes in the populations of Madeira and the Canary Islands, with a genetic distance ranging from a minimum of 2.4% to a maximum of 3.3% between samples from different archipelagos. In support of this, SDMs highlighted relevant dissimilarities between the environmental requirements of the populations of the three archipelagos, particularly the climatic niche. Our research demonstrates that deeper investigations that combine ecological, morphological, and genetic areas are necessary to implement tailored conservation strategies.