Phylogenetic relationships among horseshoe bats within the Rhinolophus ferrumequinum group (Mammalia, Chiroptera)

The horseshoe bats of the Rhinolophus ferrumequinum group form a well-defined lineage within the Afro-Palaearctic clade of the genus Rhinolophus. The group currently comprises four species widely distributed across the Palaearctic and Afrotropic regions: R. bocharicus (Central Asia), R. clivosus (from northern Africa and the Levant through Arabian Peninsula and eastern Africa to southern Africa), R. ferrumequinum (from western Europe and northern Africa through the Balkans and Middle East to Central Asia and India) and R. nippon (southern and central China, Korea, and Japan). The broad ranges and geographical variations within these species have led to the proposal of numerous subspecies. The phylogenetic relationships and intraspecific variation of the R. ferrumequinum group were investigated using a genetic approach. One mitochondrial marker and five nuclear markers were sequenced and supplemented with available sequences for all four species of the group. Our study revealed five major lineages within the R. ferrumequinum group, resulting in the recognition of four currently known species and identification of a new species. The prior name available for this lineage/species is R. acrotis. The relationships between the lineages varied depending on the chosen marker, leaving the interspecific relations within the ferrumequinum group unresolved. In addition, the results indicated that R. clivosus experienced historic introgression from northern Africa and the Levant, resulting in replacement of its mtDNA by that of R. ferrumequinum. Together, this study introduces a new Rhinolophus species, which increases the number of species in the ferrumequinum group to five.