Morphometric variability in Artibeus planirostris (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in environments with different states of conservation in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil

Rapid morphological changes associated with anthropogenic alterations have been reported in many groups of vertebrates. The Atlantic Forest is subject to serious conservation problems due to human activities and is one of the hotpots for the preservation of biodiversity. Bats play important roles in the recuperation of this type of environment as pollinators, seed dispersers and controllers of invertebrate populations. Environments altered by humans may serve as filters that determine the presence of animals with morphologically different characteristics in comparison to those found in preserved environments. In the present study, morphometric characteristics and weight were studied in flat-faced fruit-eating bats (Artibeus planirostris) captured in three protected areas of the Atlantic Forest located in the northern portion of the biome: one well preserved and two with conservation problems. The means of nearly all morphological characteristics evaluated were lower in the most conserved environment, including forearm size, which is directly related to flight and differed significantly between environments with different states of conservation. In recent decades, large and medium-sized trees have been cut down in the less conserved environments, resulting in fewer obstacles for bats during flight. This situation is thought to lead to selective pressure for bats with smaller wings in the more preserved environment, which implies greater flight manoeuvrability. The observation that the state of conservation of forest fragments affects morphometrics further underscores the importance of conservation measures in highly impacted biomes.