Table 2 Feature comparisons of eight bat species during embryonic and fetal development.
| Â | Â | C. perspicillata a | H. armiger b | H. pratti b | R. amplexicaudatus c | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stage | Commen features | Specific features | UD | CRL | Specific features | UD | CRL | Specific features | UD | CRL | Specific features | CRL |
10 | Neural tube and somite formation | 4-12 somite pairs |  |  | 5-12 somite pairs | 7.00 ± 1.10 (2) |  |  |  |  |  |  |
11 | Rostral neuropore closure; cranial flexure; 2 pharyngeal arches; optic evagination; otic vesicle | 13-20 somite pairs |  |  | 22 somite pairs; cervical flexure | 7.42 ± 0.14 (2) | 2.42 ± 0.03 (2) | 22 somite pairs; cervical flexure | 7.17 ± 0.02 (2) | 2.69 ± 0.35 (2) |  |  |
12 | Forelimb buds form; tail bud forms; caudal neuropore closes; 3 pharyngeal arches | 21--29 somite pairs; cervical flexure | 5.75 ± 0.64 | 3.4 ± 0.42 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
13 | Oral groove; optic cup; lens placode; hindlimb bud; forelimb AER | 30-35 somite pairs | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
14 | Retinal pigment; genital tubercle | 36-40 somite pairs; small nasal pits; propatagium and plagiopatagium primordia; hindlimb AER | 6.95 ± 0.44 | 5.35 ± 0.24 | 36 somite pairs; round nasal pits | 9.58 (1) | 5.14 (1) | 40 somite pairs; round nasal pits | 8.86 (1) | 5.52 (1) |  |  |
15 | Lens vesicles; auditory hillocks | Hand and foot plates; external auditory meatus | 8.65 ± 1.20 | 7.45 ± 0.92 |  |  |  | 40 somite pairs; hand plate | 11.10 (1) | 7.80 (1) |  |  |
16 | Naris; pinna | Eyelid primordium; nose-leaf primordium; tragus; vibrissal folicles; forelimb digital condensations; uropatagium primordium | 12.06 ± 1.45 | 8.66 ± 1.05 |  |  |  | Nose-leaf primordium; external auditory meatus; pinna; antitragus; foot plate | 12.90 (1) | 9.52 (1) | Vibrissal folicles; antitragus; calcar primordium; forelimb digital condensations; hindlimb interdigit tissue receding | 8.5 (2) |
17 |  | Eyes begin to close; tongue out; chin wart; unicorn bump; hindlimb interdigit tissue receding | 13.45 ± 1.34 | 9.15 ± 1.34 | Hindlimb interdigit tissue receding; uropatagium primordium | 15.00 (1) | 12.38 (1) |  |  |  | Hindlimb interdigit tissue receding | 9.4 (1) |
18 | Head and body smoother, rounder | Free thumb; free toes; calcar; flexure at wrist; uropatagium enclose the whole tail | 16.32 ± 0.98 | 12.35 ± 1.16 | 12 pairs of ribs; eyes begin to close; 1st supplementary leaflet; frontal sac primordium; free thumb; free toes; calcar | 17.05 ± 0.43 (3) | 13.11 ± 0.44 (3) |  |  |  | Oral papillae; free thumb; free toes; claw primordia | 13.4 (1) |
19 |  | Claw primordia |  |  | 2nd supplementary leaflet; flexure at wrist; claw primordia; uropatagium enclose the whole tail | 18.98 ± 1.02 (2) | 15.66 ± 0.81 (2) | 1st supplementary leaflet; vibrissal folicles; uropatagium enclose the whole tail |  | 16.79 ± 1.68 (2) |  | 16.1 (1) |
20 | Distal forelimbs overlap over face | Eyelids closed | 20.0 ± 3.54 | 16.35 ± 1.06 | Eyelids closed; 3rd supplementary leaflet; vibrissal folicles | 20.13 ± 0.71 (2) | 18.50 ± 0.32 (2) | Eyelids closed; nose-leaves achieve adult appearance |  | 18.95 ± 0.07 (2) | Eyelids closed | 16.3-20.7 (5) |
21 |  |  |  |  |  | 22.52 ± 0.34 (2) | 19.39 ± 0.25 (2) |  |  |  |  |  |
22 | Wing membranes corrugated | Nose-leaf; eyelids reopening; claws pigmented, hooked | 23.03 ± 2.68 | 20.02 ± 0.26 | Claws pigmented, hooked | 23.78 ± 1.68 (3) | 22.04 ± 0.37 (3) | Claws pigmented, hooked | 23.04 (1) | 21.44 (1) | Genitals begin dimorphic differentiation | 17.2-28.6 (3) |
23 |  |  |  |  |  | 25.77 ± 0.57 (3) | 23.58 ± 0.13 (3) |  |  | 24.86 (1) |  |  |
Fetal | Vibrissae; short hair widespread on dorsal parts | Eyes completely open | 23.53 ± 0.64 | 21.13 ± 0.06 | Nose-leaves achieve adult appearance; genitals begin dimorphic differentiation | 38.58 ± 6.82 (5) | 36.48 ± 5.36 (5) | Genitals begin dimorphic differentiation | 34.23 (1) | 33.31 (1) | Pigmentation in palpebral line | 27.3-44.4 (5) |
| Â | Â | M. schreibersii fuliginosus b | M. natalensis d | P. abramus e | M. rufus f | |||||||
Stage | Commen features | Specific features | UD | CRL | Specific features | UD | CRL | Specific features | CRL | Specific features | UD | CRL |
10 | Neural tube and somite formation | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | 7 somite pairs | 2.3 | Â | Â | Â |
11 | Rostral neuropore closure; cranial flexure; 2 pharyngeal arches; optic evagination; otic vesicle | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | 10-12 somite pairs; cervical flexure | 2.3-2.6 | Â | Â | Â |
12 | Forelimb buds form; tail bud forms; caudal neuropore closes; 3 pharyngeal arches |  |  |  | 27 somite pairs | 5.8 ± 0.12 (3) | 3.7 ± 0.94 (3) | 16-18 somite pairs | 2.1-2.2 |  |  |  |
13 | Oral groove; optic cup; lens placode; hindlimb bud; forelimb AER | 31 somite pairs | 6.31 ± 0.38 (2) | 4.22 ± 0.11 (2) |  | 8.0 ± 2.09 (11) | 5.2 ± 0.26 (11) | 25-28 somite pairs; hindlimb AER; long nasal pits | 2.6-4.1 | 33-36 somite pairs | 5.0 (1) | 5.0 (1) |
14 | Retinal pigment; genital tubercle | 42 somite pairs; long nasal pits; propatagium and plagiopatagium primordia; hindlimb AER | 8.39 ± 0.48 (3) | 5.85 ± 0.49 (3) | Long nasal pits; propatagium and plagiopatagium primordia; hindlimb AER | 9.0 ± 1.01 (18) | 5.9 ± 0.80 (18) | Hand plate | 4.1-5.7 | 37-40 somite pairs; long nasal pits; propatagium primordia; hindlimb AER | 8.0-9.5 (3) | 5.8-7.0 (3) |
15 | Lens vesicles; auditory hillocks | 42 somite pairs; 10 pairs of ribs; external auditory meatus; forelimb digital condensations; foot plate | 9.92 ± 1.47 (3) | 7.19 ± 0.71 (3) | Forelimb digital condensations; foot plate | 10.4 ± 0.81 (21) | 7.3 ± 0.75 (21) | Plagiopatagium primordium; foot plate | 5.9 | Plagiopatagium primordia; hand and foot plates | 10-10.5 (2) | 7.2-9.0 (2) |
16 | Naris; pinna | Eyelid primordium; tragus; uropatagium primordium | 11.27 ± 0.52 (4) | 8.28 ± 0.48 (4) | Tragus; hindlimb digital condensations; hindlimb interdigit tissue receding; uropatagium primordium | 11.8 ± 0.83 (26) | 9.1 ± 0.68 (26) | Tragus; hindlimb interdigit tissue receding | 5.6-7.2 | Antitragus; vibrissal folicles; uropatagium primordium; fore- and hindlimb digital condensations | 10.0-12.0 (2) | 9.7-10.0 (2) |
17 |  | Eyes begin to close; vibrissal folicles; chin wart; hindlimb interdigit tissue receding | 12.96 ± 0.78 (3) | 9.59 ± 0.54 (3) | Vibrissal folicles | 12.2 ± 1.02 (31) | 10.5 ± 0.63 (31) | Vibrissal folicles; free thumb; free toes; propatagium | 9.1 | cervical flexure absent; fore- and hindlimb interdigit tissue receding | 11.0 (1) | 11.4 (1) |
18 | Head and body smoother, rounder | Free thumb; free toes; flexure at wrist; calcar | 13.88 ± 1.95 (2) | 10.48 ± 1.56 (2) | Free thumb | 13.0 ± 1.33 (10) | 12.0 ± 0.80 (10) | Eyelids closed; claw primordia | 10.6-11.2 | Eyes begin to close; free thumb; claw primordia | 12.0-13.0 (4) | 12.0-13.5 (4) |
19 |  | Claw primordia |  |  | Claw primordia; calcar | 13.1 ± 1.28 (4) | 12.8 ± 0.69 (4) |  |  |  |  |  |
20 | Distal forelimbs overlap over face | Eyelids closed; tooth primordium; uropatagium enclose the whole tail | 17.46 ± 1.12 (2) | 14.44 ± 0.82 (2) | Eyelids closed; uropatagium enclose the whole tail | 14.3 ± 0.35 (2) | 14.4 ± 0.82 (2) | Claws hooked; uropatagium enclose the whole tail | 12.7 | Eyelids closed | 13.5-14.5 (2) | 16.7-18.5 (2) |
21 | Â | Â | Â | Â | Claws pigmented, hooked | 15.3 (1) | 15.7 (1) | Â | Â | Â | 19.0 (1) | 19.0 (1) |
22 | Wing membranes corrugated | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Eyelids reopening; teeth formed | 19.0 (1) | 28.0 (1) |
23 | Â | Genitals begin dimorphic differentiation | 18.90 (1) | 17.30 (1) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Fetal | Vibrissae; short hair widespread on dorsal parts |  | 22.99 ± 4.71 (4) | 23.09 ± 5.91 (4) |  |  |  |  | 17.4 |  |  |  |