The hyoid regions of three species of bats within the family Rhinolophidae were dissected and compared with similar data of the hyoid region of other families obtained from Griffiths (personal communication). A cladistic analysis was performed using these data to analyze inter-generic relationships within the Rhinolophidae and inter-familial relationships between the families Rhinolophidae, Megadermatidae, Nycteridae, Rhinopomatidae and Emballonuridae. Two possible inter-generic cladograms are most parsimonious. Within the rhinolophids, either Hipposideros diadema or Hipposideros armiger is the most distantly related species depending on which of two characters, loss of the sphincter colli or loss of the omohyoid, has undergone convergent evolution. Both cladograms show a close association between Triaenops persicus and Rhinonycteris aurantius. At the inter-familial level, two most parsimonious cladograms were produced. Emballonurids, nycterids and rhinopomatids are closely united in both cladograms. A question of which of two characters, sternothyroid shift of origin or omohyoid shift of origin, has undergone convergent evolution leaves the relationship between rhinolophids and megadermatids unclear.



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