MORPHOMETRIC CHARACTERIZATION OF SOME SPECIES OF BATS IN WESTERN ALGERIA.

Abstract

Our research work is divided into two parts. The first is based on the identification of specimens captured in the study area and the second part consists in characterizing these animals morphometrically and applicat the bioinformatics tools for data processing obtained. During this original study, we contributed to the morphometric study (20 measurements) of two bat species from western Algeria (Rhinolophus ferrumquinum in the Wilaya of Tlemcen and Asellia tridensdans in the Wilaya of Bechar). The analysis of the diversity of the studied species was carried out starting from 20 parameters by the calculation of the index of Shannon and Weaver. The study was conducted on a sample of 50 individuals belonging to each species studied. The data collected is analyzed by a principal component (PCA) in order to know the different correlations that exist between the characters studied and a hierarchical ascending group classification by the HCA function. These statistical analyzes were carried out by the R version 2.15.2 software, Exel and the XLSTAT 2016 software. Our results showed that there is an average rate of genetic diversity in the species studied; the Shannon and Weaver index is between 0.43 for the species Rhinolophus ferrumquinum and 0.59 for the species Asellia tridens. We also observed a positive correlation between some traits studied which can be explained by the influence of the same group of genes on these characters. The HFA separated the two species into two major groups.