Yinpterochiroptera | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Chiroptera |
Suborder: | Yinpterochiroptera Van den Bussche and Hoofer, 2004 |
Families | |
The Yinpterochiroptera is a proposed suborder of the Chiroptera, which includes the megabats and three of the microbat families: Rhinopomatidae, Rhinolophidae and Megadermatidae. This taxon is primarily based on molecular genetics data. This is a relatively recent proposal, which challenges the traditional view that megabats and microbats form monophyletic groups of bats. Further studies are being conducted, using both molecular and morphological cladistic methodology, to assess its merit.[1]
The term Yinpterochiroptera is constructed from the words Pteropodidae (the family of megabats) and Yinochiroptera (a term proposed in 1984 by Karl F. Koopman to refer to certain families of microbats[2]).
Apparently the first appearance of the term Yinpterochiroptera was in 2001, in an article by Mark Springer et al.[3]
As an alternative to the subordinal names Yinpterochiroptera and Yangochiroptera, some researchers use the terms Pteropodiformes and Vespertilioniformes.[2][4] Under this new proposed nomenclature, Pteropodiformes is the suborder that would replace Yinpterochiroptera.
Suborder Yinpterochiroptera (Pteropodiformes)
Teeling, E.C., M.S. Springer, O. Madsen, P. Bates, S.J. O’Brien, and W.J. Murphy. 2005. A Molecular Phylogeny for Bats Illuminates Biogeography and the Fossil Record. Science 307: 580-584.
Teeling, E.C., M. Scally, D.J. Kao, M.L. Romagnoli, M.S. Springer, and M.J. Stanhope. 2000. Molecular evidence regarding the origin of echolocation and flight in bats. Nature 403: 188-192.
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