A new species of Chiroderma (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) from Northeastern Brazil.

A new species of Chiroderma Peters, 1860 (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) from the State of Piauí in Northeastern Brazil is described based on mensural analysis, morphological data and geographical distribution. It is most similar morphologically to C. doriae Thomas, 1891 but differentiated by a smaller body size and by differences in cranial traits. In comparison to other members of the genus, the new species can be distinguished by a combination of characters, including size of the body, conspicuousness of facial and median dorsal stripes, ear length, and variation in cranial and dentition traits.

Karyotypic patterns of seven species of molossid bats (Molossidae, Chiroptera)

G- and C-banding patterns of seven species of the bat family Molossidae, Eumops glaucinus, E. perotis, Molossops abrasus, M. temminckii, Molossus ater, M. molossus, and Nyctinomops laticaudatus, were identified. Comparisons among the karyotypes of these species showed extensive homologies between E. perotis, M. ater, M. molossus, M. abrasus, and N. laticaudatus, demonstrating inter- and intrageneric conservatism, and a lesser degree of homologies in M. temminckii and E. glaucinus, reflecting intrageneric variation. Chromosomal variation was due to inversions, Robertsonian rearrangements, translocations, and variations in the location of constitutive heterochromatin and nucleolus organizer regions. The chromosome corresponding to No. 5 in the M. ater karyotype is discussed. We suggest that the Nyctinomops and Molossops karyotypes represent the primitive condition and that Molossus and Eumops have derived karyotypes.

Intrachromosomal distribution of telomeric repeats in Eumops glaucinus and Euntops perotis (Molossidae, Chiroptera).

The location of chromosomal telomeric repeats (TTAGGG)n was investigated in two species of the Molossidae family, Eumops glaucinus and Eumops perotis. The diploid chromosome number (2n) is 40 in E. glaucinus and 48 in E. perotis and the fundamental numbers (FN) are 64 and 58, respectively. It has been suggested that the E. glaucinus karyotype has evolved from the E. perotis karyotype through Robertsonian fusion events. In the present study, the telomeric sequences were detected at the termini of chromosomes in both species. In addition, E. glaucinus also displayed telomeric repeats in centromeric and pericentromeric regions in almost all biarmed chromosomes. Conversely, in E. perotis pericentromeric signals were only observed in two biarmed chromosomes. In both E. glaucinus and E. perotis, such telomeric sequences were observed as part of the heterochromatin. The interstitial sites of telomeric sequences suggest that they are remnants of telomeres of ancestral chromosomes that participated in the fusion event.