5/5 #WBTC2 #EvoBe2
While many other factors likely affect 🍈💨 chemical evolution, these findings stress how bats may influence 🍈 trait diversity.
Next, how have 🦇👃🧬 evolved to detect 🍈💨 chemicals? (w/@loloyohe). #batsenses hold many clues to fully understand this system!

4/5 #WBTC2 #EvoBe2
A major finding so far is that #Piper 🍈💨 chemical diversity & presence of some volatile compounds are related to ⬆️🦇 consumption and chemical preferences. Further, the evolution of Piper 🍈💨 main chemicals also fits models that simulate adaptive evolution!

3/5 #WBTC2 #EvoBe2
Doing so requires integrating many kinds of data under modern comparative & statistical frameworks: phylogenies, 🍈💨 chemistry, 🦇 diet, preferences & 👃🧬— all of which our team collected from our focal species👆🏼at La Selva @tropicalstudies 🇨🇷! #NSFfunded

2/5 #WBTC2 #EvoBe2
Few studies have tested coevolution between🦇 & their mutualistic 🌱 (=many research opportunities!). Fruit 🦇 first find🍈 via 👃, so we’re studying if 🦇 frugivory explains evolution of🍈scent & bat👃🧬 in a multispecies system of mutualistic interactions 👇🏼

1/5 #WBTC2 #EvoBe2
Frugivorous #bats disperse seeds of 100s of plant spp. & have adaptations to find fruit. Evolutionary theory predicts #mutualisms can lead to evolution of fruit traits matching frugivores’ attributes. So, can 🦇 drive the #evolution of 🍈 traits & vice versa?