Neotropical bat species: an exploration of brain morphology and genetics

Alvarez van Tussenbroek, I. (2024)

Doctoral Thesis

In this thesis, I investigated the neurogenetic properties of Neotropical bat species. Bats represent the second largest mammalian order (Chiroptera) in the world, with Neotropical bats constituting about 13% of the total number of bat species. This diversity offers an opportunity to carry out comparative research of multiple species with different behaviours and characteristics, examining their commonalities and differences in brain and genetic traits. Much remains to be explored in order to establish bats as models for neurogenetic studies, and with this thesis I aim to expand the knowledge on brains and genetic properties of the Neotropical bat species; with particular focus on brain morphology, protein expression patterns in the brain and whole genome sequencing. Overall, this thesis contributes to a better understanding of Neotropical bat species as models for neurogenetic studies.

• Chiroptera
• Neotropical bats
• Brain
• Comparative
• Brain morphology
• Protein expression
• Sequencing

• All authors: Alvarez van Tussenbroek, I.
• Supervisor: Cate, C.J. ten; Vernes, S.C.
• Committee: Meijer, A.H.; Slakeboom, H.W.; Richardson, M.K.; Dechmann, D.K.N.; Firzlaff, U.
• Qualification: Doctor (dr.)
• Awarding Institution: Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL), Faculty of Science, Leiden University
• Date: 2024-12-04