31 



Choewnycteris: Tliere is an outline by Wilson (1979) on C. mexicana: in Mexico females 

 are pregnant in spring. Tliose which migrate to Arizona and New Mexico there give birth 

 to tlieir young during Jime/Jnly. This species is monestric, but may have a second 

 breeding season per year, for in Jalisco a pregnant female has been caught in September 

 (Watkins & al., 1972). According to Barbour & Davis (1969) parturition in C. mexicana 

 takes place within 15 min. Newborn young are well developed and also furred. 



Cytology 



The New World Phyllostomatidae have been subject to thorough cytological examination. 

 Above all, the team of R.J. Baker, Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, pubhshed 

 numerous caryological and cytogenetic papers on this subject. There are also detailed 

 cliromosomal data on nectarivorous genera (cf. tab.3, from Baker 1979). 

 It is striking that even species within the same genus often show considerable differences 

 in their caryotype, Warner (1983) referred to this phenomenon as "Caryotypic 

 megae volution". It is, therefore, hardly surprising that by means of cytogenetic analysis 

 completely contradictory relationships were postulated by different authors, one example 

 being paraUel evolution of a multiple sex chromosome system (Patton & Gardner 1971) 

 in Carollia and Choeronisciis: as the males in both genera have a XYY-configuration, 

 tliey were supposed to be related (Hsu et al. 1968). Further smdies emphasized the weak 

 points of the "G-Banding Patterns", thus preferring the C-banding analysis (hete- 

 rochromatin technique). Here, anyway, specimens from both genera showed the original 

 XY type, so chromosomal configuration seems to undergo comprehensive evolutionary 

 changes. 



MATERIAL AND METHODS 

 Material 



This study is based on skulls and specimens preserved in alcohol. Tlie material comprises 

 29 genera from the subfamilies Phyllostominae, Carolliinae, Lonchophyllinae, 

 Brachyphyllinae, Phyllonycterinae and Glossophaginae. 



Some of the individuals examined were captured during a three-week study visit to 

 Ecuador (July 1983), visiting locations in the surroundings of Quito (San Antonio de 

 Pichincha, 2100 m above mean sea level), in the secondary forest of West Ecuador 

 (Chontillal) and in the rain forest area east of the Andes (Rio Cuyabeno, Amazon 

 headwater region, Cueva de Jumandi). In the course of this journey, the available bat 

 collection of the Museum of the Escuela Politecnica Nacional (MEPN), Quito, could be 

 accessed and studied. 



Some of the genera worked on here are known only by very few specimens. Thus it was 

 necessary to examine some of the extremely rare material personally in the collections. 

 Consequently, the following museums were visited: 



- Zoologische Staatssanmilung München 



- Naturhistorisches Museimi Wien 



- Rijksmuseum vor Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden 



- Zoologisches Forschungsinstitut und Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn 



