MORI, T., 1995. - Comparative sperm structure in bats (Chiroptera): some taxonomic and adaptive implications. In: JAMIESON, B. G. M., AUSIO, J., & JUSTINE, J.-L. (eds), Advances in Spermatozoal Phylogeny and Taxonomy. Mém. Mus. natn. Hist. nat., 166 : 421-429. Paris ISBN : 2-85653-225-X.

In Megachiroptera, the spermatozoa of Pteropodidae have a wide spoon-shaped head, a large acrosome, a rounded nucleus and a tail with a long midpiece. In Microchiroptera, the spermatozoa of Rhinolophidae have a spatulate head with a large acrosome, being generally uniform in morphology at the specific level, but the midpiece varies in length with species. In Vespertilionidae examined, two subfamilies of Vespertilioninae and Murininae are separable from another subfamily Miniopterinae in having a small acrosome and long midpiece. Furthermore, in the vespertilionine bats, greater uniformity in sperm structure prevails in the tribe Myotini (Myotis) and the tribe Plecotini (Plecotus and Barbastella) when compared with the tribe Pipistrellini (Pipistrellus, Nyctalus and Vespertilio). The sperm nucleus of the tribe Myotini s. lat. (Myotis, Plecotus and Barbastella) is longer than that of Pipistrellini, and the midpiece is obviously distinctive at the generic and specific levels. The midpiece in Myotis nattereri, Myotis macrodactylus and Pipistrellus abramus is longer than that in the other vespertilionine bats examined, and their mitochondria are large in number and in size. The present study demonstrates the potential usefulness of sperm morphology in taxonomic studies of Chiroptera. In addition, the presence of a well-developed midpiece with a unique arrangement of abundant, large mitochondria in spermatozoa of hibernating bats is explained as an adaptive phenomenon for prolonged survival of spermatozoa.

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