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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0PLOS One

Conservation genetics of the spotted bat: Insights from ancient, historical, and modern samples

  • Faith M. Walker1
  • Daniel E. Sanchez2
  • Michael G. Campana3
  • Robert C. Fleischer4
  • Jeffrey T. Foster
  • Colin J. Sobek
  • Cori L. Lausen
  • Carol L. Chambers
4 affiliations
  1. 1School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
  2. 2Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
  3. 3Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
  4. 4Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, Kaslo, British Columbia, Canada
Open at sourcePDFDOICite

Abstract

Spotted bats (Euderma maculatum) are cryptic (nocturnal, volant, and roost solitarily) and thus their biology remains largely undescribed. Only 35 specimens were known to science before the mid-1960s. Hence, they are ideal candidates for genetic studies to uncover population genetic diversity and structure, and thereby inform conservation. We analyzed nuclear microsatellite loci (N = 17) and mitochondrial control region sequences from 121 individuals spanning ancient (up to 2,100 years BP), historical (1904–1991), and contemporary (1994–2025) timeframes across the species’ range in western North America, from Canada to Mexico. Ancient specimens shared haplotypes with modern individuals from the same locality, suggesting long-term population continuity. Microsatellite data revealed isolation-by-distance and a weak genetic cline from the genetically diverse U.S. Southwest core population into the less diverse northern range, consistent with male-biased dispersal and post-Pleistocene range expansion. Mitochondrial data showed stronger regional structure, with distinct haplogroups in the north, central, and southern populations. At a rare cave aggregation, analyses of fine‑scale relatedness identified father–son pairs and a male‑biased sex ratio, suggesting swarming behavior. Our integrative approach across temporal scales highlights the conservation importance of preserving genetically diverse core populations, vulnerable leading-edge populations, and isolated relict lineages.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{walker2026conservation,
  title = {{Conservation genetics of the spotted bat: Insights from ancient, historical, and modern samples}},
  author = {Faith M. Walker and Daniel E. Sanchez and Michael G. Campana and Robert C. Fleischer and Jeffrey T. Foster and Colin J. Sobek and Cori L. Lausen and Carol L. Chambers},
  journal = {PLOS One},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0358330},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0358330},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Conservation genetics of the spotted bat: Insights from ancient, historical, and modern samples
AU  - Faith M. Walker
AU  - Daniel E. Sanchez
AU  - Michael G. Campana
AU  - Robert C. Fleischer
AU  - Jeffrey T. Foster
AU  - Colin J. Sobek
AU  - Cori L. Lausen
AU  - Carol L. Chambers
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/07
JO  - PLOS One
DO  - 10.1371/journal.pone.0358330
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0358330
AB  - Spotted bats (Euderma maculatum) are cryptic (nocturnal, volant, and roost solitarily) and thus their biology remains largely undescribed. Only 35 specimens were known to science before the mid-1960s. Hence, they are ideal candidates for genetic studies to uncover population genetic diversity and structure, and thereby inform conservation. We analyzed nuclear microsatellite loci (N = 17) and mitochondrial control region sequences from 121 individuals spanning ancient (up to 2,100 years BP), historical (1904–1991), and contemporary (1994–2025) timeframes across the species’ range in western North America, from Canada to Mexico. Ancient specimens shared haplotypes with modern individuals from the same locality, suggesting long-term population continuity. Microsatellite data revealed isolation-by-distance and a weak genetic cline from the genetically diverse U.S. Southwest core population into the less diverse northern range, consistent with male-biased dispersal and post-Pleistocene range expansion. Mitochondrial data showed stronger regional structure, with distinct haplogroups in the north, central, and southern populations. At a rare cave aggregation, analyses of fine‑scale relatedness identified father–son pairs and a male‑biased sex ratio, suggesting swarming behavior. Our integrative approach across temporal scales highlights the conservation importance of preserving genetically diverse core populations, vulnerable leading-edge populations, and isolated relict lineages.
SN  - 1932-6203
ER  -