The Systematic Relationship of Hipposideros Commersoni Matungensis to Other Species of Rhinolophidae (Chiroptera)

The hyoid morphology of Hipposideros commersoni matungensis was dissected and compared to the morphology of other bats in the family Rhinolophidae. Several significant differences in morphology were found: a modified stylohyal, fused to the auditory bulla; loss of the stylohyoid; addition of a new muscle, possibly from the stylopharyngeus; a modified mylohyoid profundus; and insertion of the ceratohyoid onto only the stylohyal. Cladistic analysis suggests that of all bats examined, H. commersoni is most closely related to H. armiger, and Triaenops persicus is most closely related to Rhinonycteris aurantius. This result is unexpected because the ranges of the species are geographically distant: H. commersoni is an African bat, whereas H. armiger is from East Asia. Triaenops is also an African species, whereas Rhinonycteris is Australian