Cubanycteris silvai (Silva's Cuban Bat)

[ucucha]

Cubanycteris silvai (http://www.caribjsci.org/april05/41_22-27.pdf) is an extinct phyllostomid bat from Cuba. They do not know the exact age. It may be older than 20000-year old Phyllops silvai, but there is no real evidence. As far as I know, it is the only genus of bat that went extinct recently (in the Quaternary).

[another specialist]

ABSTRACT.—A new genus and species of bat (Stenodermatinae: Stenodermatini) is described based on fossil specimens recovered from a cave deposit in Cueva GEDA, Pinar del Río, western Cuba. Cubanycteris
silvai, new genus and species, is allied to the short-faced stenodermatines (subtribe Stenodermatina). This new taxon is the third fossil species of Stenodermatina described from Cuba. Short-faced bats, with only one
extant representative per Antillean Island, seem to have occurred as three or maybe even more sympatric species in Cuba, supporting the hypothesis that Cuba was an important center of diversification of Antillean short-faced bats.

Cubanycteris silvai, new species
Fig. 2
Etymology.—Patronymic to honor Gilberto Silva Taboada for his contribution to the knowledge of Cuban Chiroptera.

Holotype.—No. IES 1.5540 (Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática, La Habana, field number 033), collected by Carlos A. Mancina and Lainet García Rivera on June 24, 2000; partial skull plus articulated mandible
and complete humerus. The occipitobasal region of the skull is missing, zygomatic arches intact, upper and lower dentitions complete, apex of right coronoid process partially broken.

Type locality.—Cueva GEDA (ca. 22°39
N, −83°42
W), Sierra de Guasasa,
Cordillera de Guaniguanico, Provincia de Pinar del Río, Cuba.

Chronology.—Quaternary.

Paratypes.—Three paratypes from same locality and collectors as the holotype. No. MNHNcu 3787 (Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, La Habana, field number 029), collected on June 23, 2000; partial skull plus
articulated mandible and complete humerus, braincase lacking, zygomatic arches intact, upper and lower dentitions complete. No. IES 1.5542 (field number 030), collected on June 23, 2000; almost complete skull and mandible joined together by limestone encrustations. No. IES 1.5542 (field
number 034), collected on June 24, 2000; highly corroded and fragile skull and mandible joined together by limestone encrustations.

Distribution.—Known only from the type locality.

Diagnosis.—See genus.

Description.—Skull with well marked supraorbital ridges and sagittal crest; near middle, each supraorbital ridge forms a distinct swelling at point where it bends to continue across forehead to join sagittal crest; anterior nares directed almost dorsally, their posterior border located halfway between anteriormost point of premaxillaries and point of juncture of supraorbital ridges with sagittal crest; pterygoid apophyses long; postglenoid processes well developed. (For other skull features see Differential diagnosis). Upper incisors closely crowded in a moderately arched row between canines. First incisor is about twice as large as second
and its cutting edge on the inner side rising to a main cusp and a low second
cusp on outer side. Second incisor has a concave cutting edge and rises barely to level of cingulum of canine. Canine is stout, not much higher than second premolar. First premolar is much lower than canine, but with better developed postero-external cingulum cusp. Second premolar is about twice as large as first, with an ample concave internal base; its posterior cutting edge with secondary cusp. First molar noticeably broader than long, much longer externally than internally, and with well developed
hypocone and minute protocone; paracone and metacone well developed,
forming with their commissure the trenchant outer edge of tooth. Second molar slightly more than half as large as first, its greatest length found at middle instead of along outer edge; and with cusps much reduced,
except for hypocone. Third molar is smaller than first incisor. Mandible is robust, similar to that of other West Indian Stenodermatina. Lower incisors smaller than upper and closely crowded between canines, their crowns broader than long and strongly converging posteriorly (in front view). Canine with base of crown widely expanded interiorly. First lower premolar is similar to first upper premolar. Second lower premolar resembles canine, but length of crown greater in proportion to its height, and the shaft thicker basally. First lower molar larger than second, its greatest width located posteriorly while that of the second located anteriorly; protoconid large and high, its inner side with a high ridge obliterating metaconid and extending posteriorly to beyond middle of crown; entoconid low but distinct. Second lower molar with protoconid,
metaconid, and entoconid well developed; hypoconid represented by a slight elevation in ridge at edge of crown. Third lower molar is slightly larger than upper. Measurements (in millimeters). Maximum length of skull (including teeth): 27.5, 27.8; zygomatic breadth: 17.5, 18.0; upper
tooth-row: 9.1, 9.5; breadth of braincase: 10.9, 11.3; postorbital constriction: 7.0, 7.5; breadth across molars: 11.9, 12.0; breadth across canines: 6.7, 6.9; length of mandible (from anteriormost point of symphysis
to end of emargination between condyle and angular process): 16.4, 17.2; length of humerus: 33.7, 34.4.

Remarks.—EDA Cave opens in a karstic hill, of the Guasasa mountain range, some 70 m from the base of the hill. It has two superposed gallery levels with a linear extension of more than 5,000 m. At present, bats do not inhabit the cave. The fossils were found scattered loosely on the floor
and along the walls of the upper (and older) level of the cave, at approximately 700 m from the nearest cave entrance. In general, fossils were exceptionally well preserved, and skeletal elements were still articulated in some specimens. In addition to sloths (Megalocnus sp., Mesocnus sp.), insectivores (Solenodon sp.), and rodents (Capromyidae),
the following bats (in order of abundance) were recovered from the fossil
deposit: Macrotus waterhousii Gray 1843, Artibeus anthonyi Woloszyn and Silva 1977, Artibeus jamaicensis Leach 1821, Eptesicus fuscus (Beauvois 1796), Brachyphylla nana Miller 1902, Antrozous pallidus (Le Conte
1856), Pteronotus sp., Lasiurus borealis (Müller 1776), and Lasiurus intermedius H. Allen 1862. Because of its location within the cave, type of deposition, faunal composition, and degree of preservation of the specimens recovered, the GEDA deposit does not fit in the typification of Cuban batbearing fossil deposits proposed by Woloszyn and Silva (1974). A thorough taphonomic study of the deposit is needed for a better understanding of its origin. Because of the lack of radiocarbon date for the GEDA deposit it is difficult to estimate the age of Cubanycteris silvai. The age of bone samples of the extinct owl Tyto noeli Arredondo, associated with the type material of Phyllops silvai, yielded an approximate
date of 20, 000 ybp. We consider that our fossil materials, by the characteristics of the deposit, could be older than the holotype of P. silvai; nonetheless, the composition of the bat fauna of the deposit studied
by us is very similar to the layer where P. silvai was discovered. The latter included the extinct species Artibeus anthonyi, from which we concluded that both taxa may have coexisted during the Pleistocene.
Suárez and Días-Franco (2003) hypothesized that more than two invasions of Cuba by short-faced bats had occurred through geologic history. We concur with these authors, and hypothesize that Cubanycteris
silvai may evolve of an early Antillean colonizer stenodermatine. Cubanycteris silvai is the third fossil species of Stenodermatina described from Cuba, supporting Suárez and Días-Franco (2003) hypothesis
that the Cuban archipelago has been an important center of speciation of
Antillean short-faced bats.

pdf file found by ucucha
www.caribjsci.org/april05/41_22-27.pdf

[another specialist]

pdf file found by ucucha
www.caribjsci.org/april05/41_22-27.pdf

[Sebbe]

Assessing the role of humans in Greater Antillean land vertebrate extinctions: new insights from Cuba.

The Caribbean archipelago is a hotspot of biodiversity characterized by a high rate of extinction. Recent studies have examined these losses, but the causes of the Antillean Late Quaternary vertebrate extinctions, and especially the role of humans, are still unclear. Previous results provide support for climate-related and human-induced extinctions, but often downplaying other complex bio-ecological factors that are difficult to model or to detect from the fossil and archaeological record. Here, we discuss Caribbean vertebrate extinctions and the potential role of humans derived from new and existing fossil and archaeological data from Cuba. Our results indicate that losses of Cuba’s native fauna occurred in waves: one during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene, a second during the middle Holocene, and a third one during the last 2 ka, combining the arrival of agroceramists and later of Europeans. The coexistence of now-extinct species with multiple cultural groups in Cuba for over 4 ka implies that Cuban indigenous nonceramic cultures exerted far fewer extinction pressures to native fauna than the later agroceramists and Europeans that followed. This suggests a determinant value to increased technological sophistication and demographics as plausible effective extinction drivers. Beyond looking at dates of first human arrival alone, future studies should also consider cultural diversity with attention to different bio-ecological factors that influence these biodiversity changes.

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.27.922237v3.full

[Sebbe]

Biodiversity and conservation of Cuban mammals: past, present, and invasive species.

Land mammals of the Caribbean Islands biodiversity hotspot have suffered a high rate of extinction since human arrival, principally in the last 500 years since colonialism began. Here, we present an extensive review and bibliography of this topic in Cuba, including details regarding the surviving endemic species of volant and terrestrial mammals and locations of species on 121 protected areas. We analyzed patterns of species richness, endemism, body mass, diet, habitat, geographic distribution of the observed richness, conservation threats, and possible causes and threats to future extinction. Cuban mammal biodiversity is comprised of 59 native species, 24 extinct species and 35 extant species, most of which are endemic to the Cuban archipelago. We compared the threats of habitat destruction and hunting, with emphasis on invasive mammal species as drivers of historical extinction in Cuba. A total of 44 mammal species have been introduced since 1509, with 33 invasive species living in the wild and exerting differing degrees of impact, principally by predation and competition. Additionally, we evaluated interactions among invasive and native mammals, emphasizing predation of feral cats upon Solenodon cubanus, Capromys pilorides, and other small endemic vertebrates as determined from analyses of scat contents. We found that black rats (Rattus rattus) reach densities of 147–322 individuals/ha in Solenodon habitat, thus likely are major competitors for food and refuges to these evolutionarily distinct and endangered Cuban mammals.

www.researchgate.net/publication/319213521_Biodiversity_and_conservation_of_Cuban_mammals_past_present_and_invasive_species

[Sebbe]

Past and present of insular Caribbean mammals: Understanding Holocene extinctions to inform modern biodiversity conservation.

Of the 116 mammal species present in the Greater Antilles at the start of the Holocene Epoch, only 56 now survive, with more extensive species losses (~80%) in native lineages of sloths, shrews, rodents, and primates than in bats (~25%). Native species occurrences and extinctions are summarized herein for Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico and used to introduce this Journal of Mammalogy Special Feature on insular Caribbean mammals. Recent efforts to understand extinct and extant Caribbean mammal diversity highlight the utility of paleobiological perspectives for exposing the trajectory of species losses and informing how best to protect remaining biodiversity in this region.

www.researchgate.net/publication/319057535_Past_and_present_of_insular_Caribbean_mammals_Understanding_Holocene_extinctions_to_inform_modern_biodiversity_conservation