DNA metabarcoding and spatial modelling link diet diversification with distribution homogeneity in European bats.
2020
Authors:
Alberdi, AnttonRazgour, Orly
Aizpurua, Ostaizka
Novella-Fernandez, Roberto
Aihartza, Joxerra
Budinski, Ivana
Garin, Inazio
Ibáñez, Carlos
Izagirre, Eñaut
Rebelo, Hugo
Russo, Danilo
Vlaschenko, Anton
Zhelyazkova, Violeta
Zrnčić, Vida
Gilbert, M. Thomas P.
Document Type:
Article (Published version)
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract:
Inferences of the interactions between species' ecological niches and spatial distribution have been historically based on simple metrics such as low-resolution dietary breadth and range size, which might have impeded the identification of meaningful links between niche features and spatial patterns. We analysed the relationship between dietary niche breadth and spatial distribution features of European bats, by combining continent-wide DNA metabarcoding of faecal samples with species distribution modelling. Our results show that while range size is not correlated with dietary features of bats, the homogeneity of the spatial distribution of species exhibits a strong correlation with dietary breadth. We also found that dietary breadth is correlated with bats' hunting flexibility. However, these two patterns only stand when the phylogenetic relations between prey are accounted for when measuring dietary breadth. Our results suggest that the capacity to exploit different prey types enables species to thrive in more distinct environments and therefore exhibit more homogeneous distributions within their ranges.
Keywords:
Behavioural ecology; Biogeography; Community ecology; Ecological geneticsSource:
Nature Communications, 2020, 11, 1, 1154-Funding / projects:
- COST Action “CLIMBATS—Climate change and bats: from science to conservation”
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14961-2
ISSN: 2041-1723
PubMed: 32123172
WoS: 000520939300002
Scopus: 2-s2.0-85080912059
URI
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32123172http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=PMC7052159
https://radar.ibiss.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/3628