Comparative Study of the Cranio-osteology of Two Lonchophyllinae from Colombia

Lonchophyllinaecomprises four genera of Neotropical nectarivorous bats. Inside this subfamilythe genus Lonchophyllais one of the most diverse. A total of 51 Lonchophyllaskulls fromColombia (L. robustan=34 andL. thomasin=17) was studied by means of geometric morphometric methods with the aim to determine their morphological differential characteristics. For this purpose, viscero and neurocranium were evaluated with 12 landmarks on the dorsal aspect of left hemicranium. The two species were statistically different according to size (expressed as skull length) but also to shape (expressed as the set of Procrustes coordinates). Skulls in L. robustawere clearly bigger,with shorter braincase and longer rostra, and their zygomatic process was more latero-caudally displaced, whereas L. thomasipresented a zygomatic process which wasdisplaced more rostrally as well longer braincases.All these detected skull form dissimilarities between both specieswould be explained by their different alimentary habits, but acombination of dietary analysis and morphological analysis is needed to make stronger inference about diet preferences.