Climate, an important dimension within the classical Hutchinsonian niche concept, represents abiotic variables that influence species distributions. As dispersal allows species to move and colonize new regions with distinct climates, the role of dispersal traits in determining the occupation of particular climatic conditions is hypothesized to be important in climatic niche determination. I test this hypothesis by investigating the effects of interspecific variation in bat dispersal abilities due to wing morphology on species climatic niches. For 74 phyllostomid bat species, I collected their niche positions (i.e. mean value of occupied climatic conditions) along the climatic space as defined by phylogenetic principal components, as well as wing variables related to flight performance and aerodynamics. To test how wing variables are related to species positions along climatic niche axes, I used a framework of phylogenetic regressions and model selection by information theory. I found that wing morphology has an important and positive influence on bat species niche positions in the climatic space. Species with increased relative wing loading have better flight performance which likely allowed them to overcome geographical barriers to dispersal in order to colonize areas with distinct climatic regimes, thus influencing their climatic niche configurations. My results reconcile the morphological role bat wings have on local habitat use with their effects on dispersal and their importance in shaping climatic niches at broad scales. Overall, my findings reinforce the roles of dispersal and complementary life‐history traits in determining species climatic niches. These results imply that traits linked to tracking suitable habitats may be important for adapting to climate change.

中文翻译：

---

通过蝙蝠翼形态了解气候位与扩散之间的关系

气候是经典哈钦森小生境概念中的一个重要方面，代表了影响物种分布的非生物变量。由于扩散使物种能够在气候不同的地区迁徙并定居在新的区域，因此，假设扩散性状在确定特定气候条件的占领中的作用在确定气候生态位中很重要。我通过研究由于机翼形态引起的蝙蝠扩散能力的种间差异对物种气候生态位的影响，检验了这一假设。对于74种phyllostomid蝙蝠物种，我收集了沿系谱系统主要组成部分以及与飞行性能和空气动力学相关的机翼变量所定义的气候空间的利基位置（即，所占据的气候条件的平均值）。为了测试机翼变量与沿气候生态位轴的物种位置之间的关系，我使用了系统发育回归和信息理论模型选择的框架。我发现机翼形态对气候空间中蝙蝠物种的生态位具有重要而积极的影响。相对机翼负荷增加的物种具有更好的飞行性能，这可能使它们克服了地理上的扩散障碍，从而在气候状况不同的地区定居，从而影响了其生态位结构。我的研究结果证实了蝙蝠翅膀在当地栖息地使用中的形态学作用，以及它们对扩散的影响以及它们在大范围塑造气候生态位中的重要性。总体，我的发现加强了散布性和互补性生活史特征在确定物种气候生态位中的作用。这些结果表明，与追踪合适的栖息地相关的性状对于适应气候变化可能很重要。