Proefschrift

Neotropical bat species: an exploration of brain morphology and genetics

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.

Auteur: I. Alvarez van Tussenbroek
Datum: 04 december 2024
Links: Thesis in Leiden Repository

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.