Congratulations to the team lead by Sebastien Peuchmaille on their recent publication in Nature Communications. The team from seven countries and ten institutions explored acoustic and genetic divergence in populations of the bumblebee bat (Crasionycteris thonglongyai) and the study makes a great contribution to the discussion on the role of sensory drive in speciation.
They were able to sample bats from nearly all known populations, and thus could compare genetic and acoustic differences between the allopatric Myanmar and Thai populations and within the geographically continuous Thai population. Their findings suggest that it is geographic limitations on gene flow that promote sensory divergence via local adaptation. The paper is open access and can be viewed/downloaded here.
Sebastien J. Puechmaille, Meriagdeg Ar Gouilh, Piyathip Piyapan, Medhi Yokubol, Khin Mie Mie, Paul J. Bates, Chutamas Satasook, Tin New, Si Si Hla Bu, Iain J. Mackie, Eric J. Petit and Emma C. Teeling (2011). The evolution of sensory divergence in the context of limited gene flow in the bumblebee bat. Nature Communications 2, 573. doi: 10.1038/ncomms1582.
The study is dedicated to the memory of Professor Daw Tin Nwe of Yangon University, a great supporter of bat research and international collaborations in Myanmar.
