The form-function paradigm postulates the existence of a correlation between form and function; a remarkable example of this is the transformation of the forelimb of bats into wings. The wings of bats are complex structures made of membranes, muscles, tendons, cartilages, bones, and joints. Forelimb bones are critical elements of wings because they form an essential part of the alar mass, serve to support soft tissue, and resist deformations. Only a few studies have attempted to detect relationships between morphology and ecology of the forelimb bones in bats in an assemblage context. Here, we explored ecomorphological patterns of 180 specimens belonging to 22 genera and 37 species of four families, occurring in northern Argentina. We quantitatively characterized bones and analyzed their relation with wing shape, as described by aerodynamic parameters, and ecological habits in a phylogenetic context. For the analyses, we used eight ecological categories, five wing variables that included three aerodynamic indexes, 29 linear measurements of the bones (humerus, radius, and scapula), and lengths of digits III and V. As expected, specimens distribution in morphospace showed that species tend to be segregated on the basis of size and morphology. Interestingly, Molossidae and Lasiurini occupy nearby areas in the morphospace, which can reveal patterns of functional convergences between them. A significant correlation between wing shape and morphology of forelimb bones was detected, showing a link between the latter and aerodynamic variables. We observed a remarkable morphological variation in the structures of the proximal and distal ends of the humerus, the proximal end of the radius, and in the acromion of the scapula. Our results highlight that these variations reflect the degrees of specialization in different modes of flight and ecological habits. We also observed that phylogeny explained in part the morphological patterns and shows a strong covariation with ecological habits, finding different phylogenetic patterns among the main lineages (Molossidae, Vespertilionidae, and Phyllostomidae).

中文翻译：

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新热带蝙蝠四科前肢骨形态及其与觅食生态的关系

形式-功能范式假定形式和功能之间存在相关性；一个显着的例子是蝙蝠的前肢变成了翅膀。蝙蝠的翅膀是由膜、肌肉、肌腱、软骨、骨骼和关节组成的复杂结构。前肢骨骼是翅膀的关键元素，因为它们构成了翼团的重要组成部分，用于支撑软组织并抵抗变形。只有少数研究试图在组合环境中检测蝙蝠前肢骨骼的形态学和生态学之间的关系。在这里，我们探索了发生在阿根廷北部的 180 个标本的生态形态模式，这些标本属于 4 个科的 22 属和 37 种。我们定量表征骨骼并分析它们与翅膀形状的关系，如空气动力学参数和系统发育背景下的生态习性所描述的那样。在分析中，我们使用了八个生态类别、五个机翼变量，其中包括三个空气动力学指标、29 个骨骼（肱骨、桡骨和肩胛骨）的线性测量值以及第三和第五指的长度。 正如预期的那样，形态空间中的标本分布显示该物种往往根据大小和形态进行隔离。有趣的是，Molossidae 和 Lasiurini 占据了形态空间中的附近区域，这可以揭示它们之间功能融合的模式。检测到机翼形状与前肢骨骼形态之间存在显着相关性，表明后者与空气动力学变量之间存在联系。我们观察到肱骨近端和远端结构的显着形态变化，桡骨近端，肩胛骨肩峰。我们的结果强调，这些变化反映了不同飞行模式和生态习惯的专业化程度。我们还观察到系统发育部分解释了形态模式，并显示出与生态习性的强烈协变，在主要谱系（Molossidae、Vespertilionidae 和 Phyllostomidae）中发现不同的系统发育模式。