(1982) Hylonycteris 



covered with hairlike papillae" (1), one single tongue artery present (2) and enlarged 

 tongue venes (3). It is quite improbable that these features - once having developed - were 

 lost again within a group of nectar feeders. 



Furtliemiore, the cladogram of Hayduk & Baker requires additional reversions in the 

 derived features "tunnel insertion of the geniohyoideus" and "back shifting of the insertion 

 of the styloglossus". Presumably the changes at the insertion of these two muscles 

 correspond to the extreme agility of the tongue. As tliis is a very characteristic feature of 

 nectar feeders, too, it also seems illogical that these characterisctics should have been 

 reverted to their original condition within a nectarivorous species group. Exactly matching 

 the point, the authors found that Lonchophylla and Lionycteris show a wide inmmnolo- 

 gical distance from other nectarivorous New World bats. So, they apparently deviated 

 from the line leading to the Glossophaginae prior to separation of Brachyphylla. This 

 supports Griffiths' classification as subfamiliy "Lonchophyllinae". 

 Based on this study submitted on skull morphology and allometrics of the measures which 

 characterize rostnmi prolongation and which may be recorded craniometrically, the 

 following additional points turned out: 1. Lionycteris, Lonchophylla and Platalina have 



