Broad-nosed bat_Platyrrhinus incarum, Peru

This photograph is of an Incan Broad-nosed bat (Platyrrhinus incarum) a frugivorous bat from San Martin, Peru. Until recently, Platyrrhinus incarum was considered to be part of Platyrrhinus helleri, a widespread species ranging from Mexico to Peru, Bolivia, Amazonian Brazil, northern South America, and Trinidad. However, morphological and molecular analyses demonstrated that Platyrrhinus incarum is a different species from helleri. I did my fieldwork in Peru in 2007 in order to fill in some sampling gaps in order to examine the phylogeographic patterns Platyrrhinus, using morphology, morphometry, and multiple genetic markers. The result of my study will be a framework for understanding the morphological evolution and ecological radiations of a diverse lineage of bats. Results will also shed light on the understanding of biological diversification throughout the Neotropics, especially on diversification within Amazonia and between it and other Neotropical provinces.