DOI: 10.5061/dryad.2171f
title: Data from: How much does nasal cavity morphology matter? Patterns and rates of olfactory airflow in phyllostomid bats

description: The morphology of the nasal cavity in mammals with a good sense of smell
 includes features that are thought to improve olfactory airflow, such as a
 dorsal conduit that delivers odours quickly to the olfactory mucosa, an
 enlarged olfactory recess at the back of the airway, and a clear
 separation of the olfactory and respiratory regions of the nose. The link
 between these features and having a good sense of smell has been
 established by functional examinations of a handful of distantly related
 mammalian species. In this paper, we provide the first detailed
 examination of olfactory airflow in a group of closely related species
 that nevertheless vary in their sense of smell. We study six species of
 phyllostomid bats that have different airway morphologies and foraging
 ecologies, which have been linked to differences in olfactory ability or
 reliance. We hypothesize that differences in morphology correlate with
 differences in the patterns and rates of airflow, which in turn are
 consistent with dietary differences. To compare species, we make
 qualitative and quantitative comparisons of the patterns and rates of
 airflow through the olfactory region during both inhalation and exhalation
 across the six species. Contrary to our expectations, we find no clear
 differences among species in either the patterns of airflow through the
 airway or in rates of flow through the olfactory region. By and large,
 olfactory airflow seems to be conserved across species, suggesting that
 morphological differences appear to be driven by other mechanical demands
 on the snout, such as breathing and feeding. Olfactory ability may depend
 on other aspects of the system, such as the neurobiological processing of
 odours that work within the existing morphology imposed by other
 functional demands on the nasal cavity.
description: Ag199538-nose_bmpZipped-archive of CT scans of the head of Anoura geoffroyi¸ AMNH #199538.Ag199538Solid model of the airway (in *.msh format) of Anoura geoffroyi (AMNH #199538), suitable for running CFD simulations.Aj267998_nose_bmpZipped-archive of CT scans of the head of Artibeus jamaicensis, AMNH #267998.Aj267998Solid model of the airway (in *.msh format) of Artibeus jamaicensis (AMNH #267998), suitable for running CFD simulations.Cp261433_nose_bmpZipped-archive of CT scans of the head of Carollia perspicillata, AMNH #261433.Cp261433Solid model of the airway (in *.msh format) of Carollia perspicillata (AMNH #261433), suitable for running CFD simulations.Gs260965_nose_bmpZipped-archive of CT scans of the head of Glossophaga soricina, AMNH #260965.Gs260965Solid model of the airway (in *.msh format) of Glossophaga soricina (AMNH #260965), suitable for running CFD simulations.Mc267888_nose_bmpZipped-archive of CT scans of the head of Mimon crenulatum, AMNH #267888.Mc267888Solid model of the airway (in *.msh format) of Mimon crenulatum (AMNH #267888), suitable for running CFD simulations.Mw275472_nose_bmpZipped-archive of CT scans of the head of Macrotus waterhousii, AMNH #275472.Mw275472Solid model of the airway (in *.msh format) of Macrotus waterhousii (AMNH #275472), suitable for running CFD simulations.