Description of the Wrist and Metacarpals of Noctilio leporinus (Noctilionidae, Chiroptera)

Abstract

In the postcranial skeleton of bats, the zeudopodium and autopodium have the greatest anatomicmodification, mainly in the region of the wrist and proximal tips of the metacarpals, but this was not,however, described in detail. The aims of this research were: 1) to describe the wrist and proximalepiphyses of the metacarpals of Noctilio leporinus (Noctilionidae), 2) to make comparisons with otherspecies of similar body size but belonging to other families: Chrotopterus auritus (Phyllostomidae),Lasiurus cinereus (Vespertilionidae), and Eumops perotis (Molossidae), based on specimens deposited atthe CML (Colección Mamíferos Lillo, Argentina). Direct observations were made with a binocularmicroscope Leica WILD M3Z and the photos were taken with a binocular microscope Leica MZ.Nomenclature follows Vaughan (1959, 1970) and Panyutina et al. (2015), with some modifications.Noctilio leporinus have a set of unique characters such as: radius-scaphocentralolunatum articulationlaterally shifted, scaphocentralolunatum with an articular radius-scaphocentralolunatum fovea placed onthe latero-distal region, scaphocentralolunatum tunnel developed, and articulation between McII and III.Similarities with C. auritus (e.g. distal epiphyses of radius with lateral styloids and medial pseudostyloidslittle developed, scaphocentralolunatum tunnel present), and significant differences with L. cinereus and E.perotis (e.g. radius-scaphocentralolunatum articulation centered, scaphocentralolunatum tunnel absent,articulation between Mc II and III without process and articular fossa) were observed. The results give newevidence for future eco-morphological, phylogenetic, and evolutionary studies.