Ecomorphological Diversity of Phyllostomid Bats:
A model using 3D printing for science outreach
Keywords:
science outreach, comparative anatomy, Phyllostomidae, bats, skulls, functional morphologyAbstract
Access to specimens is a common barrier in the development of educational models for science outreach. However, 3D scanning and printing create an opportunity to produce small files that can be inexpensively reproduced as scaled 3D objects, dramatically expanding the diversity of specimens that may be used to introduce K-12 students and other members of the public to scientific concepts, creating models that are more interesting, engaging, and easy to maintain. Here, the skulls of seven species of phyllostomid bat, representing extreme dietary and morphological diversity, but generally unavailable to the public due to small size and scarcity of specimens, were microCT scanned, scaled up, and 3D printed as an educational tool for elementary school science outreach programs. Specimen files for printing (.stl format) and educational fact sheets are included in supplemental materials for others to access and use.
References
Anđić, B., Lavicza, Z., Ulbrich, E., Cvjetićanin, S., Petrović, F., & Maričić, M. (2024). Contribution of 3D modelling and printing to learning in primary schools: a case study with visually impaired students from an inclusive Biology classroom. Journal of Biological Education, 58(4), 795-811.
Bradley, R. D., Bradley, L. C., Garner, H. J., & Baker, R. J. (2014). Assessing the value of natural history collections and addressing issues regarding long-term growth and care. BioScience, 64(12), 1150-1158.
Clark, G., Russell, J., Enyeart, P., Gracia, B., Wessel, A., Jarmoskaite, I., Polioudakis, D., Stuart, Y., Gonzalez, T., MacKrell, A., Rodenbusch, S., Stovall, G. M., Beckham, J. T., Montgomery, M., Tasneem, T., Jones, J., Simmons, S., & Roux, S. (2016). Science educational outreach programs that benefit students and scientists. PLoS biology.
“Comparative Skull Kit—Dietary”. 2025. Skulls Unlimited. https://www.skullsunlimited.com/products/dietary-set-sk-125
Ferris, R., & Vesely, R. (2021). West Virginia. Journal of Education Finance, 46(3), 377-379.
Fleming, T. H., Dávalos, L. M., & AR Mello, M. (Eds.). (2020). Phyllostomid bats: a unique mammalian radiation. University of Chicago Press.
Ford, S., & Minshall, T. (2019). Invited review article: Where and how 3D printing is used in teaching and education. Additive manufacturing, 25, 131-150.
Hansen, A. K., Langdon, T. R., Mendrin, L. W., Peters, K., Ramos, J., & Lent, D. D. (2020). Exploring the Potential of 3D-printing in Biological Education: A Review of the Literature. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 60(4), 896-905.
Laursen, S., Liston, C., Thiry, H., & Graf, J. (2007). What good is a scientist in the classroom? Participant outcomes and program design features for a short-duration science outreach intervention in K–12 classrooms. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 6(1), 49-64.
Pollard, K., & Jacobsen, L. A. (2017). The Appalachian region: A data overview from the 2011-2015 American Community Survey. Chartbook. Appalachian Regional Commission.
Santana, S. E., Sadier, A., & Mello, M. A. (2024). The ecomorphological radiation of phyllostomid bats. Evolutionary Journal of the Linnean Society, 3(1), kzae032.
“Science Conservation”. 2025. American Museum of Natural History. https://www.amnh.org/research/science-conservation
Vollmar, A., Macklin, J. A., & Ford, L. (2010). Natural history specimen digitization: challenges and concerns. Biodiversity informatics, 7(2).
Wetterer, A. L., Rockman, M. V., & Simmons, N. B. (2000). Phylogeny of phyllostomid bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera): data from diverse morphological systems, sex chromosomes, and restriction sites. Bulletin of the american Museum of natural History, 2000(248), 1-200.
Wilkening, S. (2023) “Museum Visitation: A 2023 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers Data Story”. American Alliance of Museums. https://www.aam-us.org/2023/11/10/museum-visitation-a-2023-annual-survey-of-museum-goers-data-story/
Supplemental References for Bat Fact Sheets:
Barbier, E., Nobre, C. E. B., Iannuzzi, L., & Bernard, E. (2024). The bat Tonatia bidens (Phyllostomidae) as an insect pest predator in the Brazilian Caatinga. Mammalia, (0).
Freeman, P. W. (1984). Functional cranial analysis of large animalivorous bats (Microchiroptera). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 21(4), 387-408.Freeman, Patricia W. "Frugivorous and animalivorous bats (Microchiroptera): dental and cranial adaptations." Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 33.3 (1988): 249-272.
Freeman, P. W. (1995). Nectarivorous feeding mechanisms in bats. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 56(3), 439-463.Greenhall, Arthur M., Gerhard Joermann, and Uwe Schmidt. "Desmodus rotundus." Mammalian species 202 (1983): 1-6.
Gual‐Suárez, F., & Medellin, R. A. (2021). We eat meat: a review of carnivory in bats. Mammal Review, 51(4), 540-558.Lee Jr, Thomas E., and Daniel J. Dominguez. "Ametrida centurio." Mammalian Species 2000.640 (2000): 1-4.
Navarro, D. L., & Wilson, D. E. (1982). Vampyrum Spectrum. Mammalian Species, (184), 1-4.
Ortega, J., & Castro-Arellano, I. (2001). Artibeus jamaicensis. Mammalian species, (662), 1-9.
Tellez, G., & Ortega, J. (1999). Musonycteris harrisoni. Mammalian Species, (622), 1-3.
Webster, W. D., & Jones, J. K. (1993). Glossophaga commissarisi. Mammalian Species, (446), 1-4.
Wimsatt, W. A., & Guerriere, A. (1962). Observations on the feeding capacities and excretory functions of captive vampire bats. Journal of Mammalogy, 43(1), 17-27.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science applies the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) license to works we publish. By virtue of their appearance in this open access journal, articles are free to use, with proper attribution, in educational and other non-commercial settings.
