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The genus Myotis is one of the most diverse and widely distributed mammals, providing a good model for studies of speciation and diversification across large geographic scales. However, the classification within this genus has long been chaotic. Taxonomic revisions based on multiple data sources are essential and urgent. In this study, morphometrics and genetic markers with different modes of inheritance were used to clarify the taxonomy of Myotis distributed in China. Based on 173 mitochondrial Cytb sequences and five morphological characteristics, 114 specimens collected nationwide over the past 20 years were assigned to 11 Myotis species. All Chinese samples classified into M. davidii and M. longipes were revised to M. alticraniatus and M. laniger. Then, two nuclear fragments (Rag2 and Chd1) and Cytb sequences from representative individuals of Chinese Myotis were used for multilocus phylogeny reconstruction and genetic divergence evaluation. The phylogenetic relationships were clearly demonstrated in the species tree: M. alticraniatus and M. laniger; M. fimbriatus, M. pilosus, M. macrodactylus, and M. petax; and M. pequinius, M. chinensis, and M. blythii formed three strongly supported monophyletic clades. Mitochondrial divergence was almost 10 times that of nuclear divergence, with interspecific K2P distances ranging from 8% to 20% for Cytb and 0.3% to 2.3% for concatenated nuclear genes. Low levels of genetic divergence were observed between M. alticraniatus and M. laniger, as well as M. fimbriatus and M. pilosus. These results provide new insights into the taxonomy and phylogeny of Myotis bats in China and are important for the future research and conservation of Chinese Myotis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: During the development of animals from juvenile to adult, their behaviour, morphology, and physiology can be altered to accommodate specific developmental periods. Early development in young animals directly affects the acquisition and maturation of behavioural skills and neurological functions in adults. Studying the behavioural development of young animals can help reveal the formation and evolution of animal behaviour. As the only mammalian group that flies, studying the behavioural development of young bats can help improve our understanding of bat flight behaviour. From our observations in the laboratory, we found that wing flapping and wing spreading behaviours in young bats promote earlier flight attempts. Behavioural development is an important aspect of research on animal behaviour. In bats, many studies have been conducted on the development of flight behaviour, but the postnatal behavioural development of bats remains largely unexplored. We studied the behaviours and postnatal development of infant bats by conducting controlled video recorded experiments. Our results showed that before weaning, Asian parti-coloured bats (Vespertilio sinensis) were able to exhibit four types of behaviours, namely, crawling, head moving, wing flapping, and wing spreading, and these behaviours are different from those observed in experiments with adult bats. The number of occurrences of these behaviours was correlated with age and scaled mass index. Furthermore, the number of occurrences of these behaviours in young bats could also reflect their physical developmental status. In young bats, wing flapping and spreading might be a type of play behaviour. These behaviours were negatively correlated with the time of the first flight, indicating that they might help to promote individual physical development. Our results provide fundamental data for revealing the ontogenetic and neurophysiological mechanisms of behavioural development in bats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]