Beatriz Dybas da Natividade

I am a Ph.D. student at the University of Illinois at Chicago, under the guidance of Dr. Anderson Feijó and Dr. Roberta Mason-Gamer. I am fully immersed in the captivating realm of nectar-feeding bats. My research focuses on the functional morphology of these bats and the unique adaptations associated with their feeding behavior, which have independently emerged numerous times during bats’ evolutionary history. I am particularly fascinated by the convergent adaptations that these bats have developed due to their feeding habits.

My interest in bat ecology, morphology, and evolution sparked during my undergraduate studies in south Brazil at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUCPR), where I majored in Biological Sciences. At PUCPR, I worked in the mammal collection, preparing and identifying specimens. Later, I co-led several research and field projects in the Atlantic Forest focused on bat community ecology and bioacoustics, establishing a long and prosperous collaboration with the LABCEAS.

My journey continued as I joined the MAME and began my master’s degree at the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB) under the supervision of Dr. Valéria Tavares. In this phase of my academic life, I delved into the taxonomy and systematics of bats of the genus Anoura, combining morphological and molecular tools. This project expanded my knowledge of bat diversity and deepened my appreciation for the beauty of taxonomy and systematics. It provides a framework for understanding and appreciating this diversity in an organized and meaningful way.

Selected recent publications:

Olímpio APM, Lima ACS, Mendes SB, Natividade BD, Fraga EC, Barros MC, Sampaio I. 2024. Molossus melini Montani et al. 2021 (Chiroptera, Molossidae) in Brazil: new insights for distribuition, morphology and genetics. Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e114261. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.12.e114261

Natividade BD, Oliveira MB, Rocha PA, Santos-Cavalcante NMC, Cordeiro JLP, Tavares VC. 2024. Range extension and new records of Tailed Tailless Bat, Anoura caudifer (É. Geoffroy, 1818), in northeastern Brazil. Check List 20(1): 1-11. https://doi.org/10.15560/20.1.1

Poma-Urey JL, Acosta S. LH, Rivero K, Hidalgo-Cossio M, Hingst-Zaher E, Gualda-Barros J, da Natividade BD, Barboza-Marquez K, Ramírez-Chaves HE, Salazar-Bravo J, Ochoa G J. 2023. Taxonomic revision and additional comments of some bats (Mammalia, Chiroptera) reported from Bolivia, with an updated checklist based on voucher material with verified identities. Check List 19(3): 409-427. https://doi.org/10.15560/19.3.409